Fire and Ice
by bunniesnfish
Summary: In a world where the Fire Nation reigns supreme, where the Water Tribes and Earth Kingdom are but fragments of once great civilizations, a world where the feared Fire Lord Zuko presides over everything – can a lone waterbender open his heart to peace?
1. Prologue

**Disclaimer**: _Avatar: The Last Airbender_ is the creation of Michael Dante DiMartino and Bryan Konietzko, and is owned by Nickelodeon.

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**Summary:**

_In a world where the Fire Nation reigns supreme, where the Avatar is forever missing, where the Water Tribes and Earth Kingdom are but fragments of once great civilizations, a world where the feared Fire Lord Zuko presides over everything – can a lone waterbender open his heart to peace?_

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_No one starts a war – or rather, no one in his sense ought to do so – without first being clear in his mind what he intends to achieve by that war and how he intends to conduct it._

--Carl von Clausewitz, _Vom Kriege_

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**_Fire_**

At the age of 21, Fire Lord Zuko had already been through much in his short life. The royal family had a long and bloody history, and it was nothing short of a miracle that he had ended up on the Fire Throne.

His mother had died shortly after giving birth to his sister Azula. Zuko retained vague memories of his mother – images, feelings. In his mind's eye, he saw the shadowy outline of a soft, kind, loving face. He heard a quiet voice full of love. He felt a gentle touch on his shoulder; a motherly hand cupping his chin when he was sad, telling him to look at her so she could tell him everything would turn out alright.

But she had disappeared – he had been just over two years old, and he hadn't quite understood why a baby sister had arrived but his mother had gone somewhere. He remembered a ceremony where he had been forced to wear clothes of the purest white. He had listened to a droning voice while staring at a platform with a shrouded figure atop it. Soon, fire had engulfed the pyre, and Zuko had watched his mother's spirit drift away with the smoke.

All love and kindness in his life had disappeared with his mother. His father was a hard man, and pushed him to be better than the best. It was difficult, and at times painful, but he understood that it was necessary. He bore a scar across his face – a gift from his father, given to Zuko the one time he had shown the weakness of compassion. It was not a mistake he would make again.

Until Zuko was eleven years old, his uncle, Crown Prince Iroh, had been first in line for the throne. Iroh, who was known by the frightening moniker of "The Dragon of the West" was off in the Earth Kingdom, trying to breach the walls of the great city of Ba Sing Se for the glory of the Fire Nation.

Everything changed when Iroh's son, Lu Ten, had been killed in battle. There were whispers that the great general lost his touch after such a personal loss. He no longer had the will to fight. He abandoned the siege of the great city, and returned home in disgrace.

It was then that Zuko's father, Ozai, had challenged his brother to an Agni Kai over control of the Fire Throne. Azulon, the current Fire Lord and grandfather to Zuko, had allowed the challenge, and was content to let the victor take control of the Fire Nation upon his own death. Iroh had fought admirably, but some said he had lost his inner fire and his will to live. More furtive whispers spoke of a rigged match; that the general had not tripped over his own feet, but that a nearly invisible trip wire had been set prior to the duel.

As it was, Ozai became the heir to the Fire Throne. Azulon was old, and two years later, the aged monarch died quietly in his sleep. Fire Lord Ozai was crowned immediately following the funeral of Azulon, and Zuko was named as the Crown Prince. Ozai ruled with an iron fist, and the world slowly fell under control of the Fire Nation.

The Southern Water Tribe was defeated; its remaining people scattered and fled to the Northern Tribe. The once great capital city of the north was reduced to a sad refugee camp of igloos and tents, the victim of repeated attacks by the Fire Nation. Most waterbenders had been taken prisoner; only a few remained, and those that existed hid their talent for fear of discovery and death.

The Earth Kingdom fared no better. The fire siblings, Zuko and Azula, orchestrated a clever and legendary takeover of the great city of Ba Sing Se. They succeeded where their uncle had failed, and in doing so, the Earth Kingdom fell under Fire Nation control. Only a few outlying provinces remained rebellious. Some of the resistance groups tried the patience of the occupying soldiers – one particularly vexing rebel was said to be a small blind girl who was repudiated to be the best earthbender in the world.

Finally, three years ago just after Prince Zuko had turned eighteen, Fire Lord Ozai had died under mysterious circumstances. There were those that suspected the prince of committing the act himself, but in truth, he had had nothing to do with the murder. He did, however, suspect his sister. He knew she held no love for their father. He had treated both of his children cruelly, but Zuko had seen the bruises and burns almost daily on his sister. She became adept at covering them, but he knew better.

And so, upon the death of his father, Prince Zuko became Fire Lord Zuko. He continued the legacy of his ancestors, and wished to impress the greatness of the Fire Nation upon the rest of the world. He kept his sister close to his side. The relationship between the royal siblings was a strange one indeed. There was no love lost between them, as they had been forced to compete against each other for all of their young lives. Zuko harbored an unconscious resentment toward Azula. His mother had perished because of _her._

On the other hand, he would stop at nothing to protect her. He had been unable to save her from the cruelty of their father. Zuko was greatly feared, but his protectiveness of women and children was well-known. He would never lay a hand on a woman or child, unless a woman met him in the equal playing field of battle. He knew Azula wished to plot his demise and take the throne for herself. She was a strong, talented woman; a genius on the battlefield and a firebending master. The only person in the world she feared was her brother, and Zuko intended to keep it that way.

For three years, Fire Lord Zuko cemented his control over the world, and no one dared oppose him. Not until attacks on supply routes in the northern provinces became more and more frequent.

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**_Ice_**

She had been ten years old. The numbers of the Southern Water Tribe were dwindling. A few months before, they had learned that her father, Hakoda, had been killed in battle. The news had been devastating. Her brother, Sokka, had become quiet and distant. Hakoda's best friend, Bato, had been the one to relay the news, and had taken it upon himself to protect Kya and her two children. They had entered into a strange mode of survival. Joking and smiles became infrequent. The love was there, but happiness and hope were hard to come by.

Then the black snow had started to fall. By now, everyone knew what that meant. All the men donned their war paint and battle gear, including Sokka. Katara had wanted to fight; she had waterbending skills, but the men wouldn't hear of it. They made her promise to keep her abilities a secret. They told her to stay with her mother – her mother needed someone to help protect her after all. When they put it that way, the girl had grudgingly agreed.

Not much later, the acrid smell of smoke began to fill the igloo where Katara hid with her mother. Kya threw herself in front of her daughter when a Fire Nation soldier, with his cruel voice and frightening mask, had entered the igloo. Katara ducked as a blast of flame engulfed her mother. Disbelieving, she knelt by the smoking corpse of her mother. The ice of the igloo began to crack as the girl began to unconsciously bend her element. The Fire Nation soldier greedily licked his lips as he smiled at his good fortune of finding a waterbender. She would be the key to a promotion, he was certain.

This thought was his last as Bato entered the igloo and threw an ax between the man's shoulder blades. The Water Tribe warrior scooped up the sobbing girl and ran outside. Katara looked with wide blue eyes at the scene before her. Spots of blue lay upon the ice, unmoving. Bato ran with her, ducking behind an outcropping of ice.

There was a small wooden Water Tribe boat waiting. Katara started to protest as Bato had led her onboard. She didn't want to leave without her family. Sokka? Where was Sokka? Tears began to roll down her face as Bato closed his eyes and shook his head sadly. He gathered her into his arms and explained that they were going to make a new life in the Northern Water Tribe.

Two months later, they had arrived at their sister tribe. By this point, the once great city was reduced to a few small refugee outposts, but Katara and Bato were welcomed with open arms. She had been introduced to a man named Pakku, whom she learned was a great waterbending master. He had been hesitant to teach her anything but the healing arts, as it had been tradition for woman waterbenders to be healers, but the need was great for warriors. Pakku finally agreed when he observed the girl's raw talent. He declared he had never seen such great potential.

Soon after, Bato had left her to go fight with the other Water Tribe warriors. As a parting gift, he had presented her with her mother's necklace. He had snatched it from Kya's neck in the chaos following the attack. He had replaced the burned leather with a new piece, and painstaking cleaned the soot from the pendant. Katara had fastened it around her neck with tears in her eyes, the snow falling heavy on her dark eyelashes.

For years, she had trained under the great master Pakku in secret. No one was to know she was a waterbender. As distasteful as the thought was, there were those who would sell the information to the Fire Nation for coin. Life was hard, and a little extra gold could ease some suffering.

Three years ago, at the age of sixteen, she had learned of Fire Lord Ozai's death. This was cause for a small celebration, but the mood was dampened by the thought that his greatly feared son, Zuko, would be taking over the throne. Life would go on as before.

Finally, at the age of nineteen, Katara had gathered a small group of secret waterbenders and warriors and left the Northern Water Tribe to wage war against the Fire Nation in any way they could. The waterbenders staked out supply routes in the Northern Provinces of the Fire Nation, and proceeded to terrorize the supply caravans.

And so life continued.

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**Author's notes:**

Hope you all enjoyed the prologue! I have Part I (9 chapters) written in its entirety, and will be posting a chapter a week. Reviews are welcome!


	2. Tyrant

**Disclaimer**: _Avatar: The Last Airbender_ is the creation of Michael Dante DiMartino and Bryan Konietzko, and is owned by Nickelodeon.

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**Author's note:** Hi everyone! I just wanted to say a special thanks to sokkantylee, DefyGravity2502, ArrayePL, Gaara's Plaything, Zutara-Fan022, and InItToWinIT for leaving reviews! You guys made my day :) Thanks to everyone else who put it in favorites or who just stopped by to read. So it's Friday, and time for the next chapter...hope you guys enjoy it. It's the first official chapter, so it's longer than the prologue. All of the chapters will be about this long from here on out. Enjoy!

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Chapter 1: Tyrant

_Watchin' myself and I'm taking strides_

_But here comes the moon_

_and it feels, and it feels like an informer_

_Quick run away hide, before they see you_

_You know it is all, all aglow_

_Walking on water seems perilous now_

_You got my trust, and it feels , and it feels_

_Like sabotage when I'm pulling triggers back on myself _

_And you know it is all_

_I know, it's all I know_

_And it feels so real from the outside looking in_

_And it feels so real from the outside_

_From the out, from the out_

_Tyrant, tyrant_

--One Republic, _Tyrant_

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_**Chapter 1: Tyrant**

Fire Lord Zuko pinched the bridge of his nose as his general delivered the report. He glowered at the man through the flames, and the man flinched under his golden gaze.

"So, what you're telling me is that a paltry group of peasant _waterbenders_ continue to terrorize our northern supply routes, and our best soldiers cannot take them into custody?"

The man's eyes flickered up towards the throne, but didn't quite meet the Fire Lord's gaze.

"Y-yes, my lord. They hit the supply wagons at their most vulnerable moments. We have increased the number of soldiers guarding the supplies, but to no avail. Their leader – a _woman_ – is merciless. The survivors report they have never seen anything like her. A few soldiers have defected rather than be assigned to the supply route again. We are hunting these traitors down as we –"

"Your fiercest soldiers run in fear from a woman? Of the Water Tribe?" he asked accusingly, the flames playing eerily across his face.

"Yes, your highness," the general admitted reluctantly.

"You are hereby relieved of your duties. It is time I travel to the northern provinces and deal with this problem _myself._ If you ever show your face to me again, you will soon be a smoking corpse. Dismissed."

Fire Lord Zuko watched in disgust as the man nearly ran out of the throne room.

"Azula!" he called.

A lithe figure melted of the shadows of the walls.

"Yes, Zuko?"

A small tendril of smoke worked its way out of Zuko's nose. His sister never referred to him by his title, and her tone of false respect was mocking. It rankled him, but he let it go.

"I need you to make sure that our _friend_ the general indeed disappears. I could no longer take his incompetence. Make sure he ends up on a vessel that leaves the city. Or kill him. I don't care – just make sure he disappears," he said callously.

"It will be done," Azula replied with narrowed eyes.

Zuko stood up from the throne and extinguished the flames. Azula turned to leave.

"Wait," Zuko called.

His sister turned around and awaited his words.

"I'm sure you heard me say that I will be travelling to the northern provinces to take care of our waterbender problem," he began.

"Yes, what about it?"

"I need you to take over my duties in my absence," he stated. He continued in a threatening voice, "I advise that you _don't_ try anything foolish in my absence. I assure you, you will be under close observation by some very loyal agents. Loyal to _me_. Understand?"

Her eyes flashed at him, but she bowed and murmured, "Yes, I understand."

Zuko sighed as his sister turned on her heel and marched out of the room. He was under no illusion that his sister loved him. He knew she was a very dangerous person. To control her, he had to be more dangerous than her. So far, it was working. He knew, though, that she would jump at the chance to usurp the throne. He would stop her at all costs if any of her plans ever came to fruition.

Funny though – despite that, he still cared about her. She was his little sister, and Agni help anyone who would dare harm a hair on her head. Such was the way of royalty.

The young Fire Lord left the throne room and returned to his personal chambers to prepare for the journey ahead.

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The journey to the north would take approximately two weeks. There was no sense in travelling by sea, as they would have to travel inland regardless. The royal entourage crossed the expanse of land dividing the palace city from the region of the northern trade routes. Zuko disregarded the royal palanquin, preferring instead to travel upon his own komodo rhino. He was an accomplished rider, and his personal animal was bred of the finest stock. He wished the group could move faster, but a group this large could only travel so fast. He was anxious to deal with this problem and return to the palace before Azula formed any sort of plan to take over the Fire Nation.

As the days passed on, the air grew slightly colder, signaling that they were nearing their destination. Zuko grew tired of long hours in the saddle. His leather armor creaked as he rode, and his eyelids grew heavy as they plodded on. Finally, they reached the last place they would set up camp before arriving at their destination.

A messenger hawk had arrived earlier, informing the Fire Lord that a messenger was riding out to meet them at their camp. He would debrief the Fire Lord and his soldiers on the situation, and deliver the latest intelligence.

As soon as he was ensconced in his crimson and gold royal tent, Zuko heard the noise of a komodo rhino running into camp. Soon a voice sounded from the entrance to his tent, requesting permission to enter.

"Come in," Zuko ordered.

A young, wide-eyed messenger entered somewhat hesitantly. He bowed low.

"I have news, your highness," he said. Zuko had to give him credit. He kept his voice steady.

He nodded for the man to continue.

"We have intercepted a message. They are planning an ambush on a supply caravan as it passes through the canyon just to the east of the village of Kashiya. They are to split into two groups, one on each side of the canyon, and attack from above." He indicated a small village just to the north of their camp on a map spread on a wooden table.

Zuko smiled, the expression not quite reaching his eyes. "Very good. We will be ready for them. You are dismissed."

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Katara sat by the water's edge as she readied herself for the coming ambush. She wore all black, and tied her hair into a low wolf's tail. After binding her hair, she secured her blue wrist wrappings. She touched the pendant of her mother's necklace, and assured herself that it was safely around her neck.

She wasn't sure why she had an uneasy feeling in her stomach about this particular raid. This was the first time they were coordinating with another rebel group. The messenger hawk had been a little slow in returning, but other than that, there was no evidence the message had been intercepted.

There was no reason the raid shouldn't go as planned, but she couldn't shake the uneasiness. It was too late to call off the attack – their comrades would be waiting on one side of the cliff. There was no way to get word to them on time, nor did she have a reasonable explanation.

Katara started as a voice behind her spoke. "What is it, Katara? You seem troubled."

"I don't know, Akna. I just have a bad feeling about tonight. There's no reason to feel that way – everything has been planned carefully. Maybe it's just because the moon is new tonight. We really shouldn't raid during a new moon, but we have strength in numbers tonight. This supply caravan is too valuable to pass up."

Katara looked at Akna as she sighed. Akna had been a steady companion since leaving the North Pole. Until the day came for them to depart, neither had known that the other was a bender. Katara was overjoyed to find another female waterbender. Most of the warriors in their small group were men.

"I have felt uneasy about it as well. Perhaps you're right and it is the new moon. We will have darkness on our side though. Depending on another rebel group is a new thing for us too, so I am sure that's part of it. We will be victorious, and the Fire Nation will lose more of its precious supplies," Akna replied with a mischievous smile.

Their small rebellion enjoyed continued success during their raids. Katara, as the leader of their group, was becoming legendary among the local villages. At first, their opponents had scoffed when they saw that a peasant waterbender woman was at the forefront of the attacks. They soon learned that the waterbender was not one to be trifled with – she fought with great skill and was ruthless when it came to battle. Now, during their raids, they saw fear written on the pale Fire Nation faces.

While Akna and Katara knew the dangers they faced each day, each woman hoped their efforts would pay off in the end. Any harm they could cause the Fire Nation would be counted as success.

Katara stood up and bent her element into her water skins. "Okay, it's on then. We don't have a choice. Let's gather the men."

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An hour later, under cover of darkness, the small group of Water Tribe warriors slunk along the hillside. Not all of them were benders. Some were skilled with the boomerang, some with the spear, and some with the sword. The other rebel group they were working with tonight was a similar band of warriors, also hailing from the Water Tribe. According to their leader, they had two benders among their ranks.

They signaled their presence to each other using quiet bird calls. The supply caravan was now in sight, but still a ways off. They would sit and wait for another quarter hour until the Fire Nation supply train was closer.

As the caravan neared, Katara's uneasy feeling grew stronger. There was _something_ not right. The moment for attack grew closer, and just before she gave the signal to commence the attack, bright flame cut through the night.

_Oh no. It was a trap._

The young waterbender quickly switched battle strategies in her head from offense to defense. Her face paled as she saw their sheer number of soldiers they were faced with. Usually her group attacked from the forest, where they could run and blend into the shadows, frustrating the Fire Nation soldiers. Out here, though, they were exposed. If they descended into the canyon, they would be trapped.

There were no trees near enough to escape into. Their only water source the benders had were the water skins at their sides. They were quickly surrounded. Katara gasped as Akna fell to the ground, struck by a firebender's attack. She couldn't afford to look down to ascertain Akna's condition. She heard no sound from the girl though, and feared the worst.

Katara used her dwindling amount of water with needle-like precision. She ducked and rolled to avoid a fire ball, and bent her water into a sharp ice blade. She skimmed the blade across the firebender's neck, and he fell to the ground unmoving.

"Akna!" she yelled. Dimly she realized that Akna was not responding, and the rest of her warriors were either captured or dead. The night was thick with the smell of blood and smoke. She could figures littering the ground around her whenever the flash of a flame would illuminate the darkness.

While her head was turned, a huge plume of fire burned by her side. Immediately gaining her attention, she turned to look at her attacker. Her mouth nearly fell open as she realized precisely who it was. He was tall, and he wore fine armor emblazoned with the Fire Nation symbol. A harsh scar slashed across the left side of his face. His raven hair was pulled up in a topknot, and a golden crown sat proudly atop his head. She recognized his face from statues and posters that had been placed in every occupied town around the world.

The Fire Lord. Fire Lord Zuko himself had come to put an end to the raids. She supposed she should be flattered.

Fury gripped her, and she taunted him.

"So, the Fire Lord himself has to come stop us! I suppose we eluded your elite soldiers a few too many times? Some were better than others, to be sure, but in the end, we bested them," she said flippantly.

Her heart pounded in her chest as he filled his palm with fire.

"You are beaten, and yet you still mock the Fire Nation? I must say, I admire your spirit. In the end, though, you will be defeated, just like the rest of your people," he said, a sneer curling his lips.

"I am not defeated yet!" Katara screamed as she flung her last drops of water at him. She molded it to her will, and the drops became needle-sharp points. He brought up his defenses in time, and a fierce wall of fire melted the ice before it reached its mark.

In the meantime, several soldiers wrestled Katara to the ground as she kicked and fought.

"No! Just kill me here! I will be no prisoner of the Fire Nation!"

She let go a guttural yell as she raked her nails across the face of a Fire Nation soldier. The man immediately cuffed her across the face. She fell in a heap to the ground.

"Stop!" the Fire Lord yelled at the soldier. "That was unnecessary, you fool! Get out of my sight!"

Katara looked up as the young man stood over her. "You will be coming back with me. I have a feeling you will try your hardest to escape. I will ensure that you don't, and trust me, if you try, you will regret it."

The waterbender felt her hands roughly grabbed and jerked behind her. Cold steel manacles were placed around her wrists.

The Fire Lord gripped her arm and dragged her to her feet. "Come, we start back tonight."

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A few hours later, Katara reflected in horror upon her current position. She was sitting atop a komodo rhino, her hands still bound. That was bad enough. The ultimate insult, however, was that she was currently seated in front of Fire Lord Zuko.

She shifted uncomfortably, and tried, unsuccessfully, to avoid touching him. His arms rubbed against her as they held the reins of the beast. She could feel the warmth emanating from the firebender's body, and she quickly grew hot.

"Stop touching me!" she growled.

"I think you are hardly in a position to be giving orders. Besides, it's a bit difficult not to touch you when we're riding the same animal," he stated, a hint of mocking in his voice.

"You're disgusting," she hissed.

"I've been called worse," he replied lazily.

She suffered in silence for a few hours more, and was immensely relieved when he called for the men to set up camp. They dismounted from the komodo rhino. She fell to the ground, as she had chosen to jump with her arms still bound rather than accept any help from him.

She finally had a chance to look around at the other prisoners. They had been riding at the head of the group all night, and she hadn't been able to turn around to see the other prisoners. She desperately sought Akna's face, but didn't see her friend among the captives. She fought back tears. Akna was dead. She had seen so much death that she was surprised she still had tears left.

The Fire Lord gripped her arms once more, and secured her to a nearby tree. A small bubble of panic overcame her. Did he really intend to keep her tied to a tree all night? She needed to relieve herself. How in the name of Tui and La was she going to ask about that?

He turned away, and started to enter his tent.

"Hey! I think you forgot something!" she shouted.

He turned back to her. "What?"

"Me. I need to…relieve myself."

To her eternal amusement, the man actually looked embarrassed.

"Very well. But listen carefully, if you try _anything_, you will be very sorry. You may go behind those trees over there."

He unlocked the chains securing her to the tree, and she walked over behind the trees he had pointed to. She took care of business, and as she finished, her eyes darted around. She knew he was watching the trees like a hawk, but perhaps she could make a run for it and disappear into the trees. She didn't know what she would do once she escaped, especially considering her wrists were still bound, but anything had to be better than being the Fire Lord's prisoner.

She took a deep breath, then sprinted for the nearest cover. She gasped as fire blossomed at the stand of trees she was about to enter. Suddenly she felt him beside her, and his still-hot hand grabbed her arm.

He glowered at her. "You will pay for that little escape attempt."

He dragged her back to camp, and immediately had her ankles chained as well. There would be no running. He chained her to the tree once more, and entered his tent. A short while later, the smell of food assaulted her nostrils. She was very hungry; she hadn't eaten in hours. She watched jealously as a servant entered the Fire Lord's tent with a steaming tray of food.

Zuko exited the tent a short while later, and spoke to the servant. The servant removed the nearly empty tray, and to Katara's horror, he brought it over to her. So that was what he had instructed the servant to do.

She shouted at the Fire Lord. "You expect me to eat your _scraps?_" her voice shrieked.

Katara thought her head would explode when he had the nerve to laugh. "It's better than nothing, isn't it? I was going to give you some bread, but then you pulled that little escape attempt. I told you that you'd be sorry. Even if you refuse to eat it now, I imagine the scraps will begin to look tasty after a few days without food."

The waterbender weighed her options. She could stoop to eating the Fire Lord's scraps and fill her empty stomach, or she could starve and keep her pride intact. Her hands were still bound, so her only option to eat was to lower her face to the food and eat like an animal. Her decision was made. Her stomach complained, but she would go hungry.

She leaned back against the tree, and sleep finally overtook her.

* * *

In the morning, Zuko left his tent to check on his prisoner. Her eyes were closed, but sleep was obviously not peaceful for her. Her eyelids were closed tight; her muscles were tense. He sighed as he looked at the tray of food scraps. She hadn't touched them. She would in time.

He prodded her with his boot to wake her up. "Time to get moving." He knew she would need to relieve herself again, but this time he called a female soldier over to supervise.

As soon as camp was packed, he and his prisoner mounted his komodo rhino. They rode hard all day, and Zuko was relieved that the waterbender said not a word. He wasn't in the mood to deal with her complaints. He suspected hunger had something to do with it, as he could hear the growls of her stomach above the noise of their travel.

The days continued much the same, and the Water Tribe girl remained quiet. Of course, if looks could kill, he would have been dead a thousand times over. Each time they set up camp, she was secured to a nearby tree, and offered the scraps from the Fire Lord's dinner. Each night she refused to eat, although she drank the paltry amounts of water they offered her.

On the eighth day, he did begin to worry as she seemed to grow more listless. The warrior still hadn't eaten anything in the days since she had been imprisoned, and had only swallowed scant amounts of water. She began to sway more in the saddle in front of him. At midday, she slumped over as she lost consciousness and slipped through his arms to land on the ground.

Swearing under his breath, he signaled for his soldiers to halt. He picked the girl up in his arms. "We camp here for the night," he announced.

As soon as his tent was set up, he brought the girl in. A healer was close behind. The healer brushed a wet, cool cloth over the girl's forehead, and her eyes fluttered open.

"She needs to eat, my lord. She is dehydrated as well. She won't be able to travel in this condition," he informed Zuko matter-of-factly.

Zuko sighed. _Fine, you win this round._

"Very well. Have a tray of food brought in, as well as a small amount of water. I think she is too weak to bend, but we must be cautious. She's a fighter," he said as he sent the healer off.

The girl came to as he sat waiting for the food to arrive. She looked at him blearily, then seemed to suddenly remember to glare. Her eyes narrowed even as she struggled for consciousness.

"You win this one. I didn't think you'd refuse food that long. I'm having a nice meal sent in for you," he said grudgingly.

"You could just let me die, you know," she said vehemently.

Zuko sighed.

The food arrived, and he adjusted her bindings so her hands were in front of her. She could at least feed herself, albeit awkwardly. She started to inhale the food, but he stopped her. "You shouldn't eat so fast. Take your time, or you will make yourself ill."

Katara thought he might actually be concerned about her well being until he continued. "I don't want you to get sick in my tent."

She sent him a withering look. He suspected she was tempted to make herself sick in his tent just for revenge.

She continued eating, but to his surprise, she took his advice and slowed down. As she finished, he spoke.

"I suppose I should ask your name, as we've spent several days together, and I haven't yet asked."

The girl appeared to be trying to come up with a rebellious response, but then seemed to deflate as she gave up.

"Katara. Of the Southern Water Tribe."

"Ah. I suppose I can see why you're so angry, as your people don't exist any more," he said plainly.

He watched as rage clouded her face. "Your nation has killed off my entire family – nearly my entire _people_, and you speak of it so callously! You _bastard_," she said, her voice dangerously low.

His eyes narrowed at her. "If your people had just surrendered when it became clear they were defeated, they would still be alive. I suppose they were all like you though – they just kept fighting, even after defeat."

"What else would you have us do?" she shouted. "Just lay down like a rat-dog before its abusive master? Continue to live through raids and have our benders slaughtered? Keep living in squalor, wondering who will be the next to die?"

She swayed a bit – the effort of yelling had taken much out of her. She cursed herself for using all her strength just because the Fire Nation scum had baited her.

Katara watched as the man's amber eyes narrowed at her. "Each nation was given a chance to surrender. If they had sworn fealty to the Fire Lord, they could have continued to live their lives in peace. The only reason anyone lost their lives was due to the fact that they kept on fighting! Remember, Fire Nation soldiers have been killed too."

"Yes, killed in war they shouldn't have had to fight!"

The two benders glared at one another for a moment. Finally, the Fire Lord spoke.

"You should get some rest while you can. We will be returning to the palace city in just a few days. We ride before dawn."

Katara's vision swam before her, and she fell back onto the dirt floor of the tent as she once more lost consciousness.


	3. Prisoner

Chapter 2

**Author's notes:**

Wow, I'm glad everyone seems to be enjoying it thus far! Special thanks to those who reviewed!

_Sokkantylee_ – Glad you like my version of Zuko! Yeah, I was trying to picture what he would have been like without his mother and Iroh to influence him. LOL, I did enjoy making Azula squirm! And yes, Katara is a tough chick in this world, but things are about to get a bit more difficult for her!

_ArrayePL _– That was my goal! Glad it's believable!

_DefyGravity2502 _– Aw, thanks! I hope you continue to enjoy it!

_PanPan, Turion, InItToWinIT_, and _Kafira Dalila _– Thanks for your kind words!

Okay, enough chatter! Here's the next chapter:

* * *

_Yet from those flames,_

_No light, but rather darkness visible._

--John Milton, _Paradise Lost

* * *

_

As the days passed, Katara's life fell into an unpleasant routine. Just before dawn the day after she collapsed, the army loaded up and headed out once more. She was forced to continue riding on the Fire Lord's komodo rhino. She tried to convince him to let her ride on the cart with the other prisoners, but he was convinced she would try to escape, and she was far too valuable a prisoner to allow for that. She supposed she couldn't blame him. She _would_ try to escape.

They would ride all day through the blazing hot sun. Even as she drifted in and out of consciousness, she was always aware of the heat. How did these firebenders stand it? Not only did they have the sun beating down on them, the heat from the man's inner fire was stifling. Katara had fitful dreams of being back in the South Pole. She would revel in the feel of snowflakes hitting her skin; breathing in the frigid air. Then, the sun would descend down to the ice and melt it all; the heat burned her and finally consumed her.

She must have thrashed during these dreams, because inevitably a strong hand would shake her awake, and she would realize she was moments away from tumbling out of the saddle. She would jerk her arm away from his grip, and she would glare at the road ahead until she grew sleepy once more.

The waterbender was always relieved when Zuko would signal it was time to stop for the night. Katara would jump down from the komodo rhino, refusing the proffered hand each time, and usually ended up in a heap on the ground. She feared she had sprained her ankle the last time she had dismounted, but she would let the Avatar reappear before she ever accepted help from the Fire Lord.

A female guard would take her to a nearby stand of trees or behind a boulder to allow her to relieve herself, then she would be brought a tray of stale bread and a bowl of broth. As soon as she finished, she would be chained to a tree for the night.

One evening, as she leaned against the tree staring up at the moon, the Fire Lord walked up to her. Katara continued staring at the moon as the firebender looked down at her.

"I hope you know the moon spirit won't be helping you anytime soon," he sneered.

Katara didn't answer.

"We'll be arriving in the capital city tomorrow. The people will be gathered to celebrate another great victory for the Fire Nation. I suggest you don't try anything stupid."

Katara grunted and turned away from him as much as her chains would allow.

"I suppose I will be imprisoned after we arrive?" she inquired.

"Most of your little band will be. As for you, I have something special in mind."

"I hate you," Katara said. She said it without venom, without feeling. It was merely the statement of a fact.

"I know," he replied. Katara listened to his boot steps fade away on the dirt as he left her.

* * *

The next day began like all the others, but after a few hours of riding, the walls of a volcano came into view. Katara knew that the capital city sat within the walls of the crater. The dread in the pit of her stomach grew with each step the komodo rhino took. What did he mean he had "something special" in mind for her? Was she to be executed?

The walls of the volcano grew in size as they drew closer, and soon they came to the gates of the great city. Gongs were sounded, and she heard cheers from inside the city walls. Katara felt bile rise in her throat. They were celebrating the triumphant return of their Fire Lord.

Before they entered, Katara was instructed to dismount. Confused, she wondered what she was supposed to do. Realization dawned on her when a long chain was attached to her and the other end was handed to the Fire Lord. She was to be paraded along…like a pet.

They started out once more, and Katara was forced to jog to keep up with the animal, otherwise she would be dragged. Her eyes widened as she took in the throngs that had gathered to celebrate the Fire Lord's victory. He rode at the front of his troops, and she trailed along just behind him. The roar of the crowd was deafening.

She didn't think things could get any worse when something struck her in the back of the head. As she wondered what had hit her, another similarly squishy object hit her arm. Fruit. They were throwing rotten fruit at her. Soon she was being pelted with all manner of rotten foodstuffs. The juice dripped through her hair and down her neck. Several citizens spat at her, and she couldn't even move her hands enough to redirect the spittle back at them.

Through it all, she held her chin high. She would keep her dignity even in the most humiliating of circumstances. She thought the parade would never end, when finally they approached the Fire Palace. She never thought she would be glad to see the capitol building of the Fire Nation.

Zuko dismounted and jerked her chain, signaling her to follow him. Her head held high, she followed him up onto the dais. As he began to speak, she wished with all her being that she had access to water and her arms were free. She would drive an ice dagger straight through his black heart.

"Citizens of the Fire Nation! We have once again achieved victory for our great land! This band of rebels was terrorizing the northern territories, disrupting supply routes, and causing our people to live in fear! I have sworn to protect my people, and have dealt with the problem personally!"

Katara glared out at the cheering masses.

"As an added bonus, we have captured one of the remaining waterbenders. She is highly skilled in her art, and she was using it to harm our people! Now, she is a prisoner of the Fire Nation. She will harm our people no more!"

Katara cursed the hot, dry day and wished fervently for even a few drops of rain – rain that she could turn against these mad people. The spirits ignored her wishes, however, and Zuko turned to enter the palace, taking her with him.

Once inside, he handed her off to a guard, and she was led deep into the bowels of the palace. The corridors became more dimly lit, and finally she was shoved into a dark room. She heard a lock click behind her. She panicked as she adjusted to her new situation.

There were no windows, no lanterns were lit. It was pitch black. Still chained, she crawled around, trying to feel for something, anything. The stone floor was rough beneath her hands. Finally her head bumped into something. She followed it up with her hands, and realized it must be a small cot. Exhausted, she laid herself down on the utilitarian piece of furniture. She still had the sticky remains of the rotten fruit clinging to her clothes, hair, and skin, but she was too tired to do anything about it. She had no water anyway.

Only then, as she lay in the quiet darkness, did the tears begin to fall down her face.

* * *

Zuko stalked into the throne room and glared at his sister, who was seated on the throne.

"I hope you haven't gotten too comfortable up there," he growled at her.

"Don't worry, Zuzu, I know my place," she said sweetly, a feral smile lighting her face as she stepped down.

"Do you?" he asked wearily. "You weren't at the celebration. You of all people should have been there to welcome us back."

He sat down once more on his throne, and casually lit a fire in his hand. He played with it; he twirled it in between his fingers, and let the color change from orange to blue to white. He watched in satisfaction as her eyes narrowed. She had yet to master the hotter fires, and she resented the casual display of his power. It reminded her of her place.

"After all, I would hate to think that you were _disloyal_ to me," he said as he closed his fist and extinguished his fire.

She bowed to him, although she managed to ooze disrespect through even that action.

"It will not happen again."

"Good. Now, since you were not there to meet us at the gates, you may not have heard that I brought back an interesting prisoner," he said. He knew perfectly well that she knew, since he had spies watching _her_ spies. She feigned ignorance. It was a game they played.

"What kind of prisoner?" she asked innocently, although she knew very well.

"The waterbending kind. She was the leader of this small band of rebels. She is…feisty, to say the least. I intend to break her of it. I wish for you to accompany me while I question her. I need you to retrieve one of the other prisoners and meet me at the waterbender's cell. You know where it is," he said pointedly.

Azula kept a blank face. She had suspected he knew about her spies, but that confirmed it. She would need to find new (and better) spies.

"Very well," she replied. The siblings exited the grand chamber and prepared to interrogate the waterbender.

* * *

Katara sat in the darkness for hours. She began to wonder if they had just thrown her in here to forget about her. Would they let her starve to death? Well, actually the need for water would be the cause of death, as that would affect her first. It would be a terrible thing to die as a bender denied her element. Perhaps they would just shove a bit of food and water through the door, keeping her nourished, but leaving her to go mad in the darkness.

When the heavy metal door creaked open, she closed her eyes against the sudden light that illuminated the room. When her eyes adjusted to the light, she was disappointed by what she saw. Or rather, who she saw.

Her blue eyes drilled into him as he sauntered into the cell. She resented how refreshed and clean he looked. She knew she looked like a nightmare, with greasy, wild hair, tattered clothing, and remains of rotten fruit still clinging to her.

She feared she was about to find out what the "something special" was that he had in mind for her.

"So, how do you like your new accommodations?" he asked pleasantly.

"I've been in worse," she said, her voice hard.

"Good, I'm glad your room is acceptable. Now, down to business," he said, clasping his hands behind his back.

Katara glared at him even harder, if that was even possible. "What do you want with me? Why not just execute me and be done with it?"

He snorted out a laugh. "My dear waterbender, if I was to have you executed, you would become a martyr, thus inspiring other foolhardy people to stand up to the Fire Nation. No Katara, you will spend your days in the Fire Palace, gradually becoming a forgotten piece of the past. Your loved ones, if you have any left, will assume you were killed in a raid."

She launched herself at him, despite the weight of the chains still binding her wrists together, but he easily sidestepped her.

"Besides, you are of some use to me. I am certain you hold some useful information in that pretty little head of yours," he said, his voice falsely polite.

"I will tell you nothing. Torture me all you want. You. Will. Get. _Nothing_."

"Oh, believe me, I know. You are quite self-righteous, always willing to sacrifice yourself. Which is why I know this will work," he said as he turned towards the door. "Azula!" he yelled. "Bring him in."

Katara looked on in horror as one of the male warriors from her group was brought in. She mentally slapped herself for her oversight. Of course they would try this.

"Now, perhaps you will be more amenable to telling me what I want to hear," he said, lighting a small fire at his fingertip. "After all, burns are very painful. I know that lesson well," he said darkly. Katara tried to ignore the large scar across his left eye.

The warrior, Akiak, looked at her desperately. "Don't tell them anything, Katara! I am willing to die – you should be willing to let me!"

Zuko rolled his eyes. "Are you all this self-sacrificing?"

"You would know nothing of honor!" Akiak shouted. Zuko suddenly gripped the man's arm to fasten his chain to the wall. Akiak screamed as the Fire Lord's red-hot hand burned his flesh.

"Now, Katara, on to my questions. This one is easy. How many other waterbenders do you know?"

Katara smiled sweetly at him. "Besides the one you killed in the ambush? Just me. Our abilities are kept hidden."

"Very well. Someone had to teach you though. Where is the waterbending master?"

Katara's tan face paled. "I will never tell you."

"Ah, so you do know where he is, then," Zuko said triumphantly.

The waterbender mentally slapped herself at her mistake. She should have just feigned ignorance. _Damn my pride!_

"Perhaps. Perhaps not. Either way, you will never find out," she said, trying to keep the waver out of her voice as fire sprang to life in his palm once more.

"Unfortunate for your friend. He will suffer for your lack of cooperation," he said as he moved the flame within centimeters of Akiak's face. His skin started to redden and blister.

Katara looked desperately into her friend's eyes. He shook his head at her. As he burned, he still was unwilling to let Katara reveal anything.

She ventured a glance at the face of Zuko's sister. Just looking at the woman sent chills down her spine. She looked on, completely emotionless. She almost looked…bored with the proceedings.

The warrior's screams echoed through the chamber. These men were trained to bear unimaginable pain without complaint, so being burned alive – slowly – must have been unspeakably painful. Katara bit her lip until blood flowed. _Don't break don't break don't break_ she repeated to herself. She tasted the metallic tinge of blood, but kept her teeth clamped down on her lip for fear that she would speak given the chance. She could not reveal anything. There was too much at stake. Akiak was willing to die for it.

"Still no answer?" the Fire Lord questioned.

She kept biting her lip and shook her head.

"Very well," he replied in disgust. A brilliant flash of heat finally ended the man's screams.

The Fire Lord summoned some guards to remove the corpse as Katara collapsed onto the stone floor.

"I will break you, one way or another," he said quietly. He stalked out of the chamber, his sister close on his heels. Katara began sobbing, still in a heap on the floor. She could still smell the burning flesh.

* * *

The next morning, Azula sat in the Fire Lord's study, her legs casually dangling over the armrest of the chair she in which she sat. Her cold golden eyes watched her brother pace back and forth across the floor.

"Really, Zuzu, calm down. She'll break sooner or later," she admonished.

He stopped his pacing and turned to look at her. Azula suppressed a shudder as his gaze bore into her.

"I was so certain she would give us the information. Everything about her screamed that she would never let her companion die!"

"Apparently her loyalty to her tribe runs a little deeper than her loyalty to her friends. She clearly does not want to lose her friends, but she is willing to sacrifice them for the greater good. No matter how many of her warriors you torture before her eyes, she will never betray what she knows," Azula said matter-of –factly.

The lanterns in the room flared as Zuko's well-known temper got the best of him. "She is the closest we have come to learning the location of that spirits-cursed master! As long as he remains alive, we will always have skilled waterbenders as a thorn in our side! If we can't get her to talk, we will never be rid of him!"

He watched his sister's face – she looked pensive. He could usually count on her to come up with a calculated plan. He was the one who always rushed headlong into things, preferring to handle his problems with brute force and power. Clearly those traits would not bring about the desired solution in this instance. The waterbending girl would only grow more quiet the further she was pushed.

He needed his sister's cunning strategies, as much as he hated to admit it. She was a tactical genius. She was, after all, the mastermind behind their takeover of Ba Sing Se. She could look at a situation, plot out possible plans of attack and their consequences, and choose the best course of action.

He waited for her to speak.

"Zuko, clearly the girl puts a lot of merit in trust and friendship. What if you were to try and gain her trust?"

"What? Have you gone mad? The girl will never trust me. She will never trust a firebender, much less the leader of the whole race! In case you didn't notice, she hates me with every fiber of her being," he spelled out to Azula as if speaking to a child.

His sister twirled a long lock of her raven bangs around her finger, a habit Zuko found very annoying.

"Hear me out, Zuzu. I'm not saying it'll be immediate. Instate the girl as your personal servant – have her serve your afternoon tea or some similar mundane task. Offer her something in return if she behaves. After a period of good behavior, allow her to have light in her cell. Gradually increase the gifts – give her some incentive to behave. Talk to her; gain her trust."

"What would you have me say to gain her trust?" Zuko asked doubtfully.

"I don't know, feed her some drivel about your tragic childhood or something. She seems like the sympathetic type. Then, when the time is right, offer her false promises. Hopefully she'll trust you by then, and perhaps give you some information for your good will. Convince her that by allowing this master to train warrior waterbenders, the war will continue forever," she finished.

Zuko's brow furrowed. "It's a long shot, but it's a better chance than anything we have right now."

Azula's lips curved into a cold smile. "Shall I inform the girl of her new duties?"

Zuko sat down at his desk. "Yes, go ahead. Have one of the servants find appropriate attire for her. She may have a damp cloth to wipe off the remains of the rotten fruit-" he had noticed pieces still clinging to her hair during the interrogation – "but she gets no food, no light in her cell until she earns it."

* * *

Katara lay on her cot in the dark, curled up in the fetal position. Ever since the last of the guards had departed with the remains of Akiak, no one had entered her cell. Her stomach growled. She was hungry, and she wished for a drink of water as she had never wished for one before. She was still covered in dried sticky fruit juice from their grand entrance into the city.

Katara sensed that the Fire Lord had been furious that she had not revealed anything, even in the face of her friend being burned alive. The waterbender shivered. She feared she would see that image every single time she closed her eyes.

She had no sense of time, but she could faintly feel the path of the moon. She guessed that she had been in the dark cell for about two days. For all she knew, though, it could have been mere hours; it could have been days. It was difficult to tell.

Suddenly her eyes burned as they were once more exposed to light. The source of the light was the dim flicker of a lantern, but it might as well been the light of a thousand suns. Her eyes watered as her pupils adjusted.

The Fire Lord's conniving sister entered the cell after the servant holding the lantern. Another servant entered behind her, holding a bundle of cloth.

Katara studied the girl for a moment. Zuko's sister couldn't have been much older than herself. _How different we are._

Azula spoke. "I trust you know how to prepare and serve tea? I know you are a peasant, but even the simplest peasant must know this, am I correct?"

The waterbender blinked at the strange and unexpected question.

"Of course I know. Even _barbarians_ know how to prepare tea," she shot back.

"Very good," she replied, ignoring Katara's sarcasm. She motioned to the servant holding the bundle of cloth, and the young girl deposited her burden on the floor of the cell.

"These are servant's clothes. You have a job now. You will be serving tea to the Fire Lord each afternoon."

"What? I will never serve that bastard, even if it's something as simple as tea!" Katara said indignantly. She winced as she jerked her arm to emphasize her point, forgetting for a moment that her wrists were still weighed down with heavy metal chains. She glared as the Fire Lord's sister openly laughed at her.

"I suspected as much. However, there is a bit of an incentive for you to behave properly. The more you behave, the more gifts you will receive. Perhaps we will allow you light in your cell one day; perhaps we will unchain you while you are confined to the cell. Think about it. A little cooperation will gradually buy you more freedoms. Your choice," she said easily.

Katara mulled over the choice in her head. As distasteful as it was, serving tea to the despicable Fire Lord was a simple action to gain freedom. Perhaps once she behaved long enough, she would be allowed enough freedom that she could begin concocting an escape plan. Really, what other option did she have besides rotting here in the darkness? This might give her a chance, slim though it might be.

She stared the other girl hard in the eye, not backing down an inch.

"Very well. I'll do it. When do I start?"

"This afternoon. He takes his tea in his study shortly after the noon meal. A contingent of guards will escort you to the kitchens, where you will be provided with the necessary accoutrements to make tea. After that, they will lead you to the Fire Lord's study, where you will prepare and serve his tea. Once finished, you will clean up, and then be escorted back to your cell. Your performance will be evaluated, and if you behave appropriately, you will gradually be granted more freedoms."

"I still don't understand why I am being offered this choice," Katara asked, confused.

"I don't pretend to understand what goes on in the mind of my brother. He's known to have a soft spot for women and children – perhaps he doesn't just want to see you rot in here. Maybe he just wants the thrill of a warrior waterbender serving him tea. You should just be grateful he's giving you this opportunity," she said lazily. "Anyway, the noon hour approaches. Make yourself presentable. There's a cloth to clean yourself in with the clothes. You look disgusting." With that, the young princess sauntered out of the cell, and the sound of the door lock echoed in Katara's ears.

A guard entered the cell to unchain her so she could change her clothing, and promptly left. Rubbing her wrists in relief, she blindly made her way to the pile of clothes in the dark, and managed to find a slightly damp cloth mixed in with the clothing. She stepped out of her dirty and torn clothes. It felt wonderful to be rid of them. She had been wearing the same clothes for two weeks. Oh, how she wished to be clean. Her hair was greasy and limp. She wiped off as best as she could with the cloth, and changed into the fresh clothes. She hoped they weren't backwards, as it was difficult to tell what she was doing in the pitch blackness.

At the same time, she prayed to Tui and La that a guard would not enter until she was dressed. She had certainly suffered enough humiliation. She didn't need a Fire Nation guard leering at her. While she dressed, she noticed her bones protruding from her flesh. She had always been a slender girl, but the past two weeks had taken a toll on her. She was certain an unhealthy amount of weight had been sloughed off of her body.

She finished, and sat on her cot waiting for the guard to fetch her. After what seemed to be an eternity, she heard the lock click. It was time to serve tea to the Fire Lord.

* * *

**And so ends the next chapter! See you all next Friday! Oh, by the way, I have 4 chapters of Part II written so far. Not sure yet how many there will be, but I'm working on it!**


	4. Tea

**Author's notes: **Hi everyone! It's Friday – TGIF!

Special thanks goes to**AnnaAza****, ****DefyGravity2502****, ****InItToWinIT****, ****Tigerlilysmile****, ****ArrayePL****, ****L.R. Violet****, ****gretlcascade****, ****hg-always****, ****avatarthelastairbenderfreak****, ****MaroonAngel of Darkness****, **and **beastlySmalless****. **You guys made my day again! Thanks to all who added it to their favorites/alerts as well.

Glad you all seem to like my versions of Zuko and Katara. They are admittedly a bit OOC, but they've both grown up in a much harsher world than the canon universe we all know and love. So yes, they are both a bit cold right now! Despite that, I hope I've kept a bit of their core personalities.

Okay, on to the next chapter!

* * *

_All that I'm living for,  
All that I'm dying for,  
All that I can't ignore alone at night._

_I can feel the night beginning.  
Separate me from the living.  
Understanding me,  
After all I've seen.  
Piecing every thought together,  
Find the words to make me better.  
If I only knew how to pull myself apart._

-_All That I'm Living For_, Evanescence

* * *

The door to Katara's cell swung open, and once again light flooded the room. She nearly snorted a laugh when she saw that there were no less than eight guards to escort her. They immediately replaced her chains. She supposed she should be flattered. After all, she was merely a chained waterbender with no water to bend; a mere woman who was weak and hungry. If they thought she could take eight guards at this moment, they certainly held her in high regard.

She was roughly motioned along. The chains around her ankles made walking difficult, especially since the cold metal had begun to dig into the thin skin on the back of her foot. She could only hope it would not get infected. Katara was growing weary of the chains around her wrists as well. She wondered how she would hold a tray of tea. _I'll figure it out._

As the strange group made their way through the palace, Katara noted that the halls were becoming busier. More servants bustled along, intent on their duties. Only a few risked giving Katara a strange look. She certainly didn't belong here. She felt very out of place among these pale-skinned, ebony-haired people. One boy gawked at her blue eyes as if he'd never seen the color before.

Finally they reached the kitchens, and a large woman shoved a tray into Katara's tan hands. The sweaty woman didn't say a word; she merely gave Katara a fleeting disgusted look and continued on her way. Her guards led her to an area of the palace that was much more opulent than anything she had yet seen. Golden dragons adorned the walls; crimson accents decorated the hallways.

They arrived before an ornate wooden door, and the lead guard requested entrance. A rough voice answered, and granted their request. Katara took a deep breath and entered the room.

She was forced to admit she was surprised at the décor of the Fire Lord's personal study. After all the grandeur of the outside hallways, she had expected an overt display of wealth and power. The room certainly exuded wealth and power, but it was much more understated than she had expected. The room was done in warm dark woods. A heavy desk was set up before a large window that overlooked a courtyard. There were the obligatory dragon sculptures and Fire Nation symbols, but these were not overpowering as they were in other parts of the palace. Shelves containing neatly organized scrolls lined one wall. A fire burned cheerily in the hearth.

_Spirits, it feels like the middle of summer, and yet he has a fire burning._

Finally, she looked at the sole occupant of the room. She stood awkwardly, the tray shaking slightly in her hands as she struggled to hold it up along with the weight of the chains. She waited as he signaled the guards to leave the room and await her reappearance outside the door when she was finished.

After what seemed an eternity, he looked at her and motioned to a low table in an alcove off the main room. Hoping he hadn't heard her sigh of relief, she shuffled over to the table and began preparing the tea service. After she finished, she stood waiting for him to acknowledge her. She watched him sign a document and begin to read through another.

_Is the man ever going to have his tea? Or is he just going to let me stay here forever?_

"Your tea is ready," she said impatiently.

He continued reading his document. Katara sighed loudly. Finally he looked up and glowered at her.

"I will take my tea when _I'm _ready. That's one of the first things you need to learn about being a servant. That, and being seen and not heard."

_This is not worth it. I'll live in darkness for the rest of my life._

She continued standing in wait for him, and to her horror, she began to feel faint. She was so thirsty; she had barely been given any water since her arrival, and only a few crusts of bread. She eyed the steaming teapot and plate of fruit tarts that accompanied it. Concentrating, she began to take deep breaths. She had to give up standing and sat down on the floor.

"I don't recall giving you permission to sit," Zuko said calmly.

"Well, I'm sure you would rather I sit than pass out right here. The food and water in my guest suite has been rather lacking. You complained enough about helping me recover once – I doubt you wish to repeat the experience," she announced.

The Fire Lord sighed. "Have the fruit tarts. I'm not going to eat them," he said with a careless gesture.

As much as Katara didn't want his handouts, she feared she would lose consciousness in the next few moments if she didn't accept his offer. She grudgingly reached for one. She tried very hard not to admit to herself how good it tasted.

Finally, the firebender stood up and walked over to her. He sat and waited for Katara to pour his tea.

An idea formed in her head. The accursed chains tethered her hands together fairly tightly, but she might be able to bend just a bit. The tea sat in the teapot, liquid and ready for the taking. She moved her hand as subtly as possible, because the moment he discovered her game, it would be over.

She felt the liquid molding to her will. She felt the individual parts that made up the liquid and slowed their movement until it was just ready to freeze. Her last movement would have to be quick. She would freeze the liquid into a sharp blade as it left the spout of the pot, and send it flying toward the Fire Lord.

She didn't fancy that it would come even close to killing him, but perhaps it would provide sufficient distraction for her to run…somewhere.

_I'll make it up as I go._

Her hand moved slightly as she guided the cold tea up the spout.

_Just a little more._

She gasped as Zuko's warm hand slammed down on hers and pinned it to the table. He had noticed. She had lost.

A twinge of fear began in her stomach as the Fire Lord sat and stared straight ahead with no expression. The only evidence of his temper was a slight flaring of the fire in the fireplace.

After a moment, he gave a long-suffering sigh. "You never will learn your place, will you?"

"I will never bow to you, if that's what you're referring to."

"You seem completely unaware of the fact that I hold all of the power here, and you hold none. You will learn. Clean this up. Then you may enjoy the darkness of your cell. You have failed your first day. Oh, by the way, we do have seven more of your men in custody. I would hate to see them die for your lack of cooperation in a task as simple as serving tea."

Katara's face paled.

He called for the guards while she dutifully gathered up the teacups.

"I will see you here tomorrow. I trust your skills at pouring tea will be vastly improved by then."

Katara escaped the room as fast as was possible.

* * *

Katara awoke the next morning, blinking in the blackness of her cell. She supposed it didn't matter if she closed her eyes to sleep or not – the room was so dark she could not tell whether her eyes were open or closed.

She shifted on the cot, and winced as the blister on the back of her ankle came into contact with the edge of the chain. The wound stung, and judging by the faint heat emanating from it, the sore was infected. It would be such a simple wound to heal, had she access to water.

Her mouth felt as if it were full of sand. A guard had briefly opened the door to her cell last night, and informed her that due to her poor performance at pouring tea, she would not be receiving food or water until she behaved. Her stomach growled loudly. She hadn't eaten anything since consuming the Fire Lord's fruit tarts the previous afternoon.

Katara vowed to herself that she would flawlessly perform the tea service today, no matter how distasteful it was. She hadn't forgotten Zuko's threat about the seven men remaining in his custody. The waterbender had no doubt he would kill them should she pull another stunt like the one yesterday.

_But, oh, it had been satisfying to defy him once more…_

She would not risk the lives of her men, and so she would serve tea to the Fire Lord. Even without that threat, if she didn't receive food and water soon, she would be in a much more dire situation. As it was, she barely had the strength to stand. She wondered how she would manage to carry the heavy tray through the halls of the Fire Palace that afternoon.

She would find the strength. She always found the strength.

* * *

Zuko sat at his desk in his study, staring at the scroll laid out in front of him. It seemed he had read the words a hundred times, but his mind was elsewhere, so he had difficulty digesting the information about the drought in the southern colonies.

Instead of thinking about crop shortages, as he should have been, his mind kept wandering back to the waterbender. What was it about the girl that irked him so? He supposed it was her utter lack of respect for him. Certainly she had a fighting spirit, which he could admire to a point, but it was becoming rather exasperating. All he wanted was to ascertain the location of the waterbending master, and be done with the girl. He would send her to the Boiling Rock or Volcano Lakes and forget she ever existed.

At least that's what he kept telling himself. The girl was a puzzle to him. Where most other people would give up, she kept fighting. He thought he had her figured out when he tortured her fellow Water Tribe prisoner. He had been sure she would start talking as her friend burned. She had proven him wrong again however, and shown him that she was willing to let her friends die for this secret.

And so Azula's plan intrigued him. Could he gain this girl's trust? He would, of course, crush it in the end, but it was a bit of a game to him. The waterbender was sharp-witted, and would not be won over easily. He was unsure of how to begin. He despised being unsure of himself. That was weakness, and weakness was unacceptable.

So he would see how this little experiment played out. He gave up and rolled up the scroll he had been trying to read. A servant brought him his noon meal. He saw the poor girl every day, and she never seemed to look any less petrified as she entered his study. She was young – perhaps about fourteen years of age, with the typical Fire Nation raven black hair. Her eyes were a liquid brown, and always full of fear.

Zuko sighed as he dismissed her, and she nearly ran out of the room. He nearly laughed at the contrast between the little servant girl and the defiant Water Tribe woman who would be the next to serve him. He finished taking his meal, and sat back in his chair. The fire in the hearth was dying, and with a casual flick of his wrist, he set it to blazing again.

Finally he heard a knock at the door.

_Ah, this would be the special guest I've invited to join us today._

Several guards entered the room, along with a Water Tribe prisoner in tattered clothing. The man was gaunt and pale from lack of sunlight and food. The Fire Lord had figured he would add a bit of an incentive for the Water Tribe girl to behave today. If she performed any less than perfect, her Water Tribe friend would suffer.

A few minutes later, a contingent of guards escorted the object of his thoughts into the room. She stood proud, her chin in the air, but he could see beyond her act. Her arms were slightly shaking; she was struggling to hold on to the tea tray. Although it was difficult to tell, since the chains impeded her gait, he could see that she was limping slightly. She was favoring her right foot. Her bones seemed to protrude more – she had lost quite a bit of weight since entering into captivity.

He watched as momentary panic flashed over her face as she laid eyes on her fellow prisoner. The girl took a deep breath and seemed to come to some sort of internal decision. She swayed slightly on her feet, but managed to make it over to the low table where she had prepared the tea service the previous day. Zuko laid another scroll out in front of him, pretending to read it, but studied her out of the corner of his eye.

She tiredly steeped the tea leaves, and when she was finished, she poured the steaming beverage into the delicate china cup. She stood and waited for him to take his tea. He could tell the presence of the male Water Tribe warrior had put her on edge. His plan had worked. So far she was behaving as the perfect lady.

He watched her eyes flick toward the Water Tribe man, then to him, then back to the tea set. Finally Zuko decided to have mercy on the girl. He stood up and walked over to the table.

As he drank his tea, the calming effect was negated by the feel of the girl's eyes on him. She seemed as if she wished to speak, but he was certain she held her tongue out of fear for the other Water Tribe warrior.

He decided to break the silence. "You wish to speak. What is it?"

She blinked; she appeared to have been lost in her own thoughts, and hadn't expected him to invite her to voice them.

"You were staring at me. The entire time I was preparing the tea. You pretended to read your document, but I could tell you were watching me. Why?" she asked warily.

The young Fire Lord was taken aback. He had been trained by some of the best spies in the Fire Nation in the furtive arts. He could stare straight at a document while taking in the entire scene around him. To his knowledge, this girl was the first to see through his act.

He fed her an answer.

"I wanted to ensure you were preparing the tea and not planning my demise," he said gruffly.

He set his empty tea cup down.

"You may go. You have passed your test today. Tonight you will have food and a small amount of water for dinner. I suggest you don't do anything to lose that gift."

She glared at him, and he was once more thankful that looks were not lethal, because he surely would have been dead. He saw her give a worried glance to her friend as he was roughly escorted out of the room.

Katara gathered up the tray and tea set, and he watched as she limped out of the room, guards close on her heel.

The young man sighed and attempted to educate himself on the drought in the southern colonies once more.

* * *

Katara's life fell into a strange routine as the weeks passed. She had indeed been rewarded for good behavior. That first night after her initial successful tea service, a guard had entered her cell with a tray of food – a crust of bread, broth, and a very small dish of water. She had consumed the food with as much gusto as she would a royal banquet. She had still been hungry, but the gnawing weakness was kept at bay.

She had been allowed one bath. She had been surrounded by no less than fifteen female guards, and her cheeks burned as she cleaned herself under their watchful gaze. Her wrists and ankles had been chained the entire time, which made bathing a bit complicated. Her previous shackles had been exchanged for ones that allowed a bit more freedom of movement, which was a relief, but movement was still difficult. The most humiliating part had been when she unthinkingly waterbent the remaining moisture out of her hair out of habit. The guards had immediately tackled Katara. She fell to the ground, her towel coming off in the process. Several other guards had run into the room at the commotion, and Katara had desperately tried to cover herself before the entire palace saw her naked body. She finally covered herself, but not until what felt like the entire Royal Guard had seen her.

_At least I was able to clean myself._

After a week, the guard had brought a small lantern into her cell. It was such a relief to no longer be surrounded with the oppressive darkness. It helped to keep the dark thoughts at bay. In the blackness, she was alone with her mind. The light offered a distraction. She only had a small flickering flame for company, but she held on dearly to that gift. Eventually her chains were removed while she was in her cell. She rejoiced in that small feeling of freedom.

And so her life developed a routine. She would wake up in the morning, and although still weak, she moved through some waterbending forms. The food they gave her was never enough to satisfy, and she knew her body was becoming skin and bones, but she tried to at least keep some muscle tone.

After moving through a few forms, she was exhausted. She would lie on her cot and imagine herself back at the South Pole, surrounded by her family and the icy land of her youth. It was her only escape.

Around the noon hour, the guards would come to escort her to the kitchens and then to the Fire Lord's study, where she would prepare tea for Zuko.

He had finally refrained from bringing the other Water Tribesmen into the study three days ago. Katara was immensely relieved to be free from their presence. She always felt as if they would be struck down with flames if she so much as spilled a drop of tea.

Deep down, she knew there was another reason she was relieved they were no longer required to attend the tea service. The waterbender cringed at the thought that she was willingly and obediently serving the Fire Lord. After a few days, she could no longer look her fellow tribe members in the eye. She knew they were disappointed that she had apparently been broken.

She did find it odd, however, that there had been no more questioning about the waterbending master at the North Pole. She was certain it was the Fire Nation leader's goal to learn the whereabouts of the man.

He rarely spoke during tea. Katara was relieved that he seemed to have lost interest in speaking with her, but it was also very awkward. She stood like a good little servant girl while he drank his tea, then silently cleaned up and left the room.

She took the opportunity to memorize the layout of the room, in the event she ever got the chance to escape. She hoped the Fire Lord didn't notice her cerulean eyes flicker about the room.

And so her days continued much the same. She was no closer to figuring out an escape plan than she was several weeks ago, but she was at least gaining some strength back. It was a start.

* * *

Katara hadn't expected today to be any different. She woke up, moved through her waterbending forms, imagined she was back in the South Pole, and now she was currently serving tea to Fire Lord Zuko.

Her mind wandered as she poured the tea in silence, and she stood quietly running through possible escape plans when the young Fire Lord's raspy voice broke the silence. Katara cursed herself as she nearly jumped out of her skin.

"Come. Sit. I grow tired of watching you stand there fidgeting," he commanded.

Katara's cobalt eyes narrowed at him. "I was not fidgeting," she protested. She walked over to the cushion and sat on the soft silk surface. She was not going to complain about being allowed to sit. He was taking his sweet time with the tea today.

She was taken aback when he looked her in the eye and asked her a very unexpected question.

"So, what was it like growing up in the South Pole?" he inquired. He said it so simply, as if he addressed her this way every day. He might have been asking about the weather.

Her guard immediately went up. "Why do you want to know? It's not as if there's anything left for you to destroy," she responded with venom in her voice.

He put his hands up in an innocent gesture as if to placate her.

"I was merely curious. It's so…different than anything I know. Call it an academic curiosity," he explained.

Katara sighed. She couldn't see any reason not to tell him. As she had stated, there was nothing left. There were no more vulnerabilities she could give away…except perhaps her own.

She began to tell him of a snow-covered land; a place where it was nighttime half the year and daytime the rest. She spoke of seal-whale hunts and ice-dodging.

She ceased to pay attention to her audience and lost herself in her stories.

* * *

The golden-eyed ruler listened with rapt attention as the waterbender spoke of her homeland. He had grown weary of waiting for her to start a conversation – indeed, had he waited for her, he would be an old man before he gained the girl's trust.

An innocent-enough question had popped into his mind. He would ask her about her homeland. He had expected some stories of snow and hardship; of trying to scrape some sort of existence out of the harsh landscape.

What he hadn't expected was the way her eyes had lit up as she began to tell stories of her formative years. He could almost see the snowflakes in their deep blue depths. The girl actually smiled while explaining the annual feast the village would have after the first seal-whale hunt of the year. He could hear the love in her voice as she spoke of her family.

He hadn't expected to lose himself in her stories of life in the harsh winter land. He found himself amused by a story about her brother getting two fish hooks stuck in his thumb. He started to admire the bravery of her father, and could sense the love the family shared.

She began to talk about an activity called penguin sledding when she stopped abruptly.

"It doesn't matter. It's all gone now," she said quietly.

For once, the Fire Lord was unsure how to respond. He looked down at his long-empty tea cup and dismissed the girl.

After she left, he tried to put her out of his mind, but all he could think of were scenes of an icy landscape somehow filled with warmth, and the haunted look in the girl's eyes as she realized it was gone forever.

* * *

The doors to Azula's study flew open as her brother crashed into the room. The girl raised an eyebrow at her brother's foul mood.

"What's gotten into you, Zuzu? Is the waterbender giving you trouble again?" she asked lightly.

Zuko fixed a cold amber glare on his sister.

"This was a ridiculous idea. She will never trust me – she will never trust any of us!" he shouted as he paced the room.

"So she has not spoken yet?" Azula inquired.

"I asked her about her homeland today. She finally spoke to me, but went silent again when she realized that _I'm_ the reason she is no longer _in_ her homeland," he stated. He sat down on the silk pillows of Azula's couch as he pinched the bridge of his nose.

His sister raised a perfect eyebrow at him. "What, are you getting soft, Zuzu? Are you feeling guilty for taking her home away from her?" she asked mockingly.

Zuko gave his sibling a withering glance. "Of course not."

_Are you sure? _The thought bubbled up from the deepest recesses of his mind.

Azula stood up from her seat and walked over to him. "You could always just give up on this plan and torture the girl," she said, the corner of her red lips curving up in a smile.

"You know as well as I do that it would never work. She would die before betraying her secrets." He sighed. "You were right. The only way is to gain her trust."

"When have I ever been wrong?" she asked lightly.

Zuko finally felt a smile come to his lips. "I can think of a few times. Remember the time you wanted to play that prank on Minister Sheng?"

He laughed as his sister's face fell. "I thought we agreed to never speak of that incident again," she said flatly.

"Oh come now, Zula, it _was_ funny-" he argued.

She shoved him roughly on the shoulder. "I'm in the mood for a good spar. Care to join? I'll show you just how wrong _you_ can be," she invited.

Zuko stood up and stretched. "Yes, I think I will. I hope you're prepared to lose."

Azula rolled her eyes at him, and the siblings headed for the arena.

* * *

Katara paced the confines of her cell, the dim lantern light flickering over her features.

_What the hell was that?_

She had been mulling over the events of that afternoon for hours now. Why had he asked about her homeland? There had to have been some ulterior motive. He couldn't have been merely curious.

Moreover, why had she answered?

_I must have sounded so stupid and pathetic, pining over my lost home._

Perhaps he had just wanted to gloat over her sadness.

A heavy sigh escaped her. She just wanted out of this hot, oppressive, vile place. She longed for the crisp, clean air of the poles. The last thing she wanted to do was to serve tea to his royal highness tomorrow.

She lay down on her cot, and a fitful sleep finally took her.

* * *

**Well, there's the next chapter. Hope you enjoyed! Oh, I had to tell you guys...I work on a boat, and this past week, I saw a boat named "Katara". Just wanted to share :)**

**Oh, and I have 5 1/2 chapters of Part II written now. See you all next Friday!  
**


	5. Understanding

**Author's notes: **Hi everyone! Well, you may notice it's a day early. I won't be able to post tomorrow, so you get a present – an early post!

Once again, thanks to all the reviewers - **sokkantylee**, **AnnaAza**, **ArrayePL** , **hg-always** , **Tigerlilysmile** , and **Katey123**. I really appreciate the reviews, you guys!

Here is the next installment. I hope you enjoy it!

* * *

_I can't help this longing  
comfort me  
I can't hold it all in  
if you won't let me_

_Heaven holds a sense of wonder...  
and I wanted to believe  
that I'd get caught up  
when the rage in me subsides_

_I am sinking  
in this silence  
in this white wave  
in this silence  
I believe_

-_Silence_, Sarah McLachlan

* * *

The following afternoon, Katara heard the lock click on her door – a sound she had been dreading since yesterday. She was unsure of what to say in the Fire Lord's presence. She still didn't understand why she had gotten carried away talking the previous day. Perhaps it was because Zuko and the guards were the only people she had contact with any more, and the guards certainly didn't speak.

Her heart pounded in her chest as they approached the now-familiar ornate wooden doors. She was admitted to the room, and she set her tray down on the table to prepare the tea. Her blue eyes remained locked on the task at hand; she did not venture a glance at the young man seated at the desk.

She finished steeping the tea, and poured the steaming liquid into a delicate tea cup. She stared down at the cup. It was beautiful – fierce golden dragons danced their way around the porcelain vessel. She heard the scrape of his chair on the floor as he moved to get up.

Katara finally looked up as he seated himself on the low cushions. He looked the same as always – black hair gathered into a top knot, the crown atop his head, his well-toned body covered by rich crimson and gold robes.

She started when he spoke. "Sit," he commanded simply.

The waterbender settled herself on the silk cushions across from him. The chains still adorning her wrists clinked loudly in the quiet room. He took a sip of his tea, and stared across the table at her. She shifted under his gaze.

"You may have some tea if you wish," he said quietly.

Katara raised a dark eyebrow at him, but simply nodded and poured herself a cup.

They sat in silence for a moment. Katara reveled in the rich taste of the tea on her tongue. It was far better than the stale-tasting water and broth she had been subsisting on.

She could take the quiet no longer.

"So what was it like? Growing up here, I mean?" The words bubbled out of her mouth before she had even realized what she had asked. She stopped herself before she clapped a hand to her mouth.

_Stupid stupid stupid!_

When she looked at his expression, however, she nearly laughed. She had finally managed to take the Fire Lord by surprise. He was momentarily taken aback, and seemingly at a loss for words.

She was surprised when he began to speak.

* * *

Zuko had watched the young woman prepare his afternoon tea. It still amazed him that she remained graceful even with the heavy metal manacles weighing her wrists down. She wore the iron chains as if they were fine gold jewelry. She had adapted her movements to compensate for the added weight. He reflected that her entire race was highly adaptable – such was the way of waterbenders. Like their element, they adjusted to the environment around them.

He invited her to sit once more. He grew uncomfortable with having her stand over him while he drank his tea. She always wavered slightly on her feet the longer she was forced to stand. She tried to hide her weakness, but she grew tired quickly. The girl was skin and bones. He made a mental note to tell the guard to increase her rations. She hadn't rebelled as of late, after all.

He hadn't expected her to speak, and when she asked what his childhood here had been like, his mind grabbed desperately at words to say.

_Now is your chance – what were Azula's words? Feed the girl some drivel about your tragic childhood? So what do I say?_

The answer came to him. _The truth._

The waterbender looked surprised when he began to speak.

"Growing up in the palace…was more difficult than most people would imagine. People picture royalty surrounded by riches and servants, and never wanting for anything – which is true to some extent. I could have any physical possession my heart desired."

What he left unsaid was that he couldn't have the things he had truly wanted – love, acceptance, a happy family.

"I grew up under the shadow of my forefathers. My own father was…harsh. He pushed Azula and I to be the greatest. Failure was not an option – failure brought severe punishment."

The girl's blue eyes widened slightly, and he noticed her gaze wander to the scar on his face. Perhaps she had guessed that the scar was one of those punishments. _Good, you're inviting sympathy._

"What of your mother? Is she-"

Zuko swallowed an unexpected lump in his throat. "My mother died in childbirth when Azula was born. I was just over two years old," he said quietly.

He tried not to look away as she met his gaze.

"I'm sorry. I lost my mother when I was ten. I know how difficult it is." She left it unsaid that the Fire Nation was the reason she lost her mother. They could each understand the loss of a mother – it was common ground.

Zuko was unsure of how to respond. This was new territory for him. All his life, he had never had anyone, even his own family – _especially_ his own family – respond with sympathy and understanding. He had a fleeting memory of warm, soft arms embracing him; a quiet voice telling him that everything would be alright. He quickly tried to banish the thought.

He decided to move on to a safer subject.

"After my father became Fire Lord, I was named the Crown Prince, and as such, I was required to learn everything I needed to know to one day lead my country. My days were filled with tutors, firebending lessons, weapons training, and political education."

"I learned from a young age that I would one day have a great responsibility – not only to lead my own nation, but to spread our fortune to other nations. The Fire Nation has enjoyed great prosperity, and we want to share our greatness with the world-"

He stopped when he saw the incredulous look on the waterbender's face.

"Dear Spirits, you actually believe that," she whispered in disbelief.

Zuko's good eyebrow furrowed in confusion. "Of course I do. If the other nations would merely submit to our rule, such great things could be accomplished, and we-"

She cut him off.

"Do you have any idea how much the rest of the world hates the Fire Nation? We don't see your greatness! We see your greed and selfishness! All over the world, children are growing up hating you! Do you not realize they spit on images of you? Desecrate your statues? How could you even begin to think that-"

"Silence!" he yelled at her. She blinked at his voice.

"You are dismissed. Clean this up," he ordered.

Katara sighed heavily as she stood up and gathered the dishes. The guards met her at the door and escorted her back to her cell.

She received no dinner that night.

* * *

The next day, great flashes of flame filled the training arena. Only a few brave souls stood around the perimeter of the large arena. The Fire Lord was in a foul temper about something, and all but his necessary staff tended to steer clear of him when he was in these moods.

The young man felt beads of sweat running down his bare chest as he punched his way through several advanced firebending forms.

He had performed these moves so many times, that it was likely he could perform them in his sleep. His mind wandered once again to the waterbender. He grunted with a particularly hard punch; a wall of flame leapt from his fist. He pushed himself harder in an attempt to rid himself of the Water Tribe girl's face, but it wasn't working.

_Why do I let her talk back to me? I should execute her on the spot._

He kept trying to figure out what particular point was bothering him when suddenly the answer came to mind. He stopped in the middle of the arena, his chest heaving with exertion.

There were two aspects of her personality that did not mesh. She had shown herself to be a capable warrior. She had withstood the torture of her friend; she had survived imprisonment and near starvation. The young woman still managed to hold her head high even as she wore the chains of a prisoner and the clothing of a servant. The Water Tribe warrior was a strong, capable woman who was willing to fight for what she thought was right.

On the other hand, she was soft and compassionate. The death of her fellow warrior had affected her deeply; he had witnessed the tears fill her eyes, although they had not fallen. Moreover, she had expressed sympathy and understanding when he, her worst enemy, had told her of his mother's death.

All of his life, Zuko had been taught that strength and compassion were mutually exclusive – if you had one, you could not have the other. As a young prince, Zuko had been severely punished for showing compassion. Compassion was weakness. He could not be a strong ruler if he had compassion. It was a lesson he had learned well.

And yet, this waterbender, this _peasant_, had shown him that the two qualities could exist in the same person. He was being forced to rethink everything he thought was truth. Was it possible she was right about the war?

He banished the thought from his head. He took a deep breath, and began to swirl his hands around in a familiar motion. He relished the feeling of the raw power coursing through him, of the electricity trailing from his hands. Finally, when he could hold the charge no more, he released it to the sky, the crack of thunder echoing in his ears.

Vowing to think no more weak thoughts about the waterbender, he stalked out of the arena, ignoring the admiring praise coming from his small audience.

It was nearly noon.

* * *

Zuko sat at his desk, scrolls laid out in front of him, but once again, he could not concentrate on their contents. He had finished his noon meal, and the frightened little servant girl had just left the room after cleaning up.

Any moment now, the waterbender would be arriving with his tea. He still fumed at the thought of her.

_How dare she contradict me?_

_Am I angry with her, or at the fact that she seems to be proving some of my long-held truths wrong?_

He leaned back in his chair and pinched the bridge of his nose. He had too many other pressing matters to worry about – he needed to forget this girl. He still needed the information from her.

_Information? Are you sure you just don't need _her_?_

Once again, he tried to throw that thought to the wind, but the remnants of it stayed with him.

He sat up straight when he heard a knock at the door, pulling a mask of regal calm over himself. He allowed the guards and tea-bearing waterbender entry.

He dismissed the guards, whom he knew would be waiting outside the door, ready to run in at a moment's notice. Zuko was fully capable of defending himself, but the royal guard was a tradition.

He watched the tan-skinned girl shuffle over to the table. She looked tired – dark circles stood out under her eyes. It struck him how gaunt she looked. Guilt began to gnaw at him for withholding her dinner the previous evening. Guilt was a rather foreign feeling to him. He disliked it.

She wavered on her feet, and seemed relieved to kneel down on the silken pillows to prepare the tea.

_That's it._

He called for a servant, and when she entered, he instructed the girl to bring another meal. He tried to ignore the Water Tribe woman's blue eyes as they narrowed at him. Did she think he was going to eat a meal in front of her to torture her?

_It's not like you haven't done it before._

He worked on signing documents, and was affixing his royal seal to one of them when the little servant girl entered with a steaming tray. He motioned her to leave it on his desk, and she set it down and scurried out of the room, her robes fluttering as she nearly ran from his presence.

He stood up, and took the tray over to the table. Katara had the tea service ready, and sat on the soft pillows. The girl looked half-dead. He sighed.

"Here, eat this," he said, putting the tray down in front of her.

She looked up at him sharply, disbelief on her face, as if she expected him to snatch the tray away as a cruel joke.

_I'm going to regret this._

"I should not have withheld your food from you last night," he said as way of apology.

She simply nodded, her limp dark hair swinging lightly with the movement. He watched as she first ate the bread, beginning slowly, then with more enthusiasm. She moved on to the soup – a savory concoction of fish, broth, and spices. It was much better than her prison food. It was, after all, fit for the Fire Lord.

By the time she finished, a bit of color had come back to her face, and she didn't look as if she would lose consciousness at any moment.

"Better?" he asked.

She nodded once more, still not speaking to him. Despite her weakened state, defiance still laced her eyes. She had faced imprisonment, torture, near-starvation, and still she remained defiant.

He studied her curiously. For some reason, he just wanted to _understand_ her. He didn't know why he should bother with her. He didn't know why she was different from any other prisoner. He told himself it was because she was the sole person in Fire Nation custody who could divulge the location of the master waterbender, but deep down, he knew there was more to it.

He broke the silence.

"How is it that you can be so strong and so weak at the same time?" he asked, genuine curiosity in his voice.

Her answer was a long time in coming. He was unsure whether she would answer at all, when suddenly her voice startled him. It cracked with disuse.

"Have you ever watched a river?" she asked.

Zuko quirked his good eyebrow at her. This was not exactly the answer he had expected.

"Of course I have. I don't see what that has to do with-" he stopped when she interrupted him.

"Most people watch a river and see the water flowing around rocks and other obstacles. It seems as though water must bend to the will of other factors. On the surface, that's true. A river must follow the landscape.

But over time, water molds and shapes the environment around it. It wears down the rocks until they become smooth pebbles. Over time, a river can carve a vast canyon out of the hardest rock."

She waited a moment while Zuko digested what she had just said.

"My people…we are very similar to our element. We are known for being adaptable. We move with the ebb and flow of things. That might be perceived as weakness. But, we stay strong over time, and much the same as a river, we mold our environment and wear down our obstacles."

Zuko stared into her eyes. This girl…this woman, was wise beyond her years. She had seen too much tragedy in her lifetime. Her answer made sense. And that meant the young Fire Lord would need to start deconstructing his long-held beliefs.

For a few minutes, they sat in silence, sipping at their steaming tea. Katara shifted in her seat, her chains rattling as she moved.

"Zuko?"

His eyes narrowed at her plain use of his name. No one except Azula was allowed to use his name without an honorific attached.

She grasped what his glare meant.

"If you think I'm going to use your title and simper before you like a common servant, think again. You are not _my_ sovereign," she hissed.

Zuko was too tired to argue. "Very well. Speak your mind."

"Have you ever imagined a world at peace? Just think about it! You are the sole person in the entire world who can grant that!" she said, light coming to her eyes.

They dulled once more at his answer.

"We would _be_ at peace if the other nations would accept our rule!" he said with frustration in his voice.

A deep breath passed Katara's lips.

"The four nations were designed to live together in harmony. Think of a scale – if one outbalances the other, harmony cannot be achieved. We must respect and uphold one another's cultures, not crush them and replace them with our own. The nations must be separate – not one."

Zuko was silent once more. He listened to the quiet crackle of the flames in the fireplace; a turtle duck out in the courtyard called to its mate.

"You are dismissed."

He watched her gather up the tray and leave the room; he was relieved to see that she was more steady on her feet. He made sure to instruct the guards to increase the waterbender's rations.

* * *

That evening, Katara was relieved to have an evening meal delivered to her cell. When she had opened her eyes that morning, she didn't think she would have the strength to get off the cot, much less walk the distance to the kitchens, and then the Fire Lord's study.

Somehow she had managed, even as hunger clawed at her belly, and her vision swam from lack of nutrition. Even worse was the thirst. The need for her element was overpowering.

When she had entered the room, she had been surprised at the look in his eyes. She had expected an expression of superiority; of gloating. Something that said, _I have all the power, and you have none._ The look he had given her was one of worry. Her mind raced at the strange development.

_Since when does he care about my well being?_

Suddenly it came to her.

_Since he realized I know the location of Master Pakku. He wants me alive so I can give him the information. That is all._

Somehow that didn't seem to be the whole truth.

She had nearly fallen over when he had brought her the tray of food. He had done something kind for her. It was disconcerting.

She had tried to ignore the confusion and desire for understanding written on his face when he had asked his question.

The whole experience had been rather surreal.

_Why is he asking me these questions? Why is he all of a sudden trying to understand? Is it all a ploy? Is he trying to gain my trust?_

The questions whirled around in her head. At the moment, she wanted nothing more than to go home. She would be free of this place. She wouldn't have to face the Fire Lord's golden eyes. She could ignore the worried looks he gave her. She could _bathe._

She had not been allowed another bath since the first disastrous one. She had been provided daily washcloths, and the occasional basin of water under supervision, but her hair fell limp and stringy across her face. She felt filthy; the grime of the cell felt as though it was etched permanently into her skin.

She sighed, then jumped as she heard the click of the lock.

_Who could that be? They already brought me dinner._

Surely nothing good would come through that door.

Her suspicions were confirmed when Fire Lord Zuko himself walked through the door.

"What are you doing here?" she accused, placing her hands on her hips.

She was dismayed as his lips started to curve up into a smile, and his shoulders heaved. Clearly, he was unsuccessfully trying to hold back a laugh.

"What?"

"Here you are a prisoner, and you still manage to sound like a haughty noblewoman," he explained.

"If I act like a prisoner, then I will _be_ a prisoner," she shot back. "Why are you here? Did you come to gloat over my sorry state?"

He frowned and crossed his arms. "Actually, I came to personally make sure that the guards had brought you your dinner."

"They did."

"Was it acceptable?"

"Oh yes, the bread crusts and nearly rancid broth were a delectable treat," she said sarcastically. "Really, why are you here?"

His eyes narrowed, and Katara was surprised the anger was not directed at her.

"I had instructed them to feed you better. I will have a word with them," he said in a low voice.

She sat down wearily on her cot, her back to him. "If that's all you needed to know, I'd like to get some sleep now."

An exasperated sigh came from behind her.

"I also came to ask if there's anything else you require. Your tea service has been impeccable as of late, despite your argumentative attitude. It's time for another gift," he said, trying to keep the uncertainty out of his voice.

Katara remained sitting with her back to him as she mulled over her options. Could she push it? What would he give her? She still hated to ask for something, but in this case, she had earned it. She tried to tell herself that was different.

"Have you ever been denied access to your element, Zuko?" she asked.

"Of course not. My element is inside me. I am never without it," he answered. He was growing tired of the Water Tribe woman's cryptic answers.

"Then you could never know the torture of being separated from something that is a part of you. Imagine being denied your right to firebend. What if you were cold, and were not allowed to create fire?"

"Just tell me what you want, girl. I am losing patience with you," he said shortly.

"Well, I am thirsty, and am barely allowed to drink. I am dirty, and am not allowed to bathe. I am asking for a little more water," she said in a rush.

She turned to face him, so she could gauge his reaction. He had a look of blank consideration, and she awaited his answer, not really expecting anything, but hoping nonetheless.

"Come with me," he ordered.

She looked at him, confusion in her gaze, but he betrayed nothing. He motioned the guards to replace her chains, and his boots made dull thuds on the hard floor as he strode from the room. The guards followed as he led her through the palace.

She couldn't imagine where he was taking her. Had he finally grown weary of dealing with her and given up on the information he required? Would he execute her here and now? Was he sending her to a Fire Nation prison? A small, irrational part of her hoped he would just release her.

She watched his broad back as he walked. His leather shoulder guard creaked as he walked, and torchlight glinted off of his crown. He pushed open a set of doors, and Katara was surprised to feel the cool night air hit her face. She had not been outdoors in over a month.

She breathed deeply, and couldn't contain the smile that came to her face.

The Fire Lord turned to his guards. "Leave us," he commanded.

"But, my lord, what if the prisoner-"

"Do not question me," Zuko said dangerously.

The guard acquiesced quickly after seeing the look on the man's face. The group turned heel and headed inside.

Zuko motioned to Katara.

"Follow me," he said to her.

Dimly she began to worry where he was leading her. Was he going to hurt her? Was he going to do…other things to her? She bit her lip, and she felt adrenaline rush into her system as she prepared to fight. She looked up at the sky in dismay. It was dark. The moon was new. That, combined with her general weakness and chained hands, would make for a paltry defense against the strong young man in front of her.

A sudden awareness ran through her. She could feel it. She could feel water nearby! It was a part of her; it sung its sweet song to her.

Her eyes widened as they came to a stop in front of a pond in the middle of a courtyard.

"There. Your element. Enjoy. Just don't try anything stupid, because you will regret it," he warned her.

She almost laughed at him, because she couldn't even begin to think of mounting an offense against him. She was just overjoyed to be near water. She couldn't help but let out a joyous shriek as she ran into the pond. She immediately submerged herself in the cool water.

After rinsing herself, she moved through a few basic waterbending forms, relishing the feel of her element bending to her will. Her movements were restricted by the chains, but she didn't care.

She decided there was no better feeling in the world than being reunited with your element when it had long been denied to you.

She even forgot the quiet, commanding presence of the firebender watching from the shadows.


	6. Meetings

**Author's Notes: **Hi guys! Well, it's Friday! Err…technically it's now Saturday my time. It's been a long week. Our boat was close to sinking at work this week, so be glad I'm here to give you an update ;) I needed a girls' night tonight, so sorry for the slight lateness!

Once again, thanks and adoration goes out to my reviewers: **hg-always**, **avatarthelastairbenderfreak**, **Tigerlilysmile**, **Turion**, **AnnaAza**, **Katey123**, **ArrayePL**, **Sumhope**, **Animus of Masada**, **InItToWinIT**, and **empirical Dharma**. You guys are super-awesome! Thanks to all who added me to their alerts and favorites as well!

Okay, here it is! Hope you enjoy!

* * *

_Just because I'm losing  
Doesn't mean I'm lost  
Doesn't mean I'll stop  
Doesn't mean I'm across_

_Just because I'm hurting  
Doesn't mean I'm hurt  
Doesn't mean I didn't get what I deserved  
No better and no worse_

_I just got lost!  
Every river that I tried to cross  
Every door I ever tried was locked  
Oh and I'm just waiting til the shine wears off_

-_Lost!,_ Coldplay

* * *

Zuko stood quietly, his back resting against the rough bark of the tree. He still wasn't quite sure why he was here in the middle of the night, and with the waterbender no less. He inwardly rolled his eyes at the rumors _that_ would start. It was probably circulating the palace even now.

He had always loved the solitude of this place. When he grew weary of the daily trials of running a country and a war, he found himself out here next to the pond. He would never admit it to anyone, but he enjoyed watching the turtleducks swimming on the surface of the water, small ripples trailing in their wake.

So tonight, when he had seen the longing look in the waterbender's eyes, when he could almost feel her fervent wish to be reunited with her element, he had decided to bring her here. Certainly there was a risk of the girl trying to escape, but her wrists and ankles were shackled. She was still weak and hungry; he was healthy and well-toned.

She would not escape.

He stopped himself as his lips nearly cracked into a smile when the woman ran headlong into the pond, letting out an excited shriek as she did so.

_Are all waterbenders this crazy?_

He watched as she completely submerged herself in the water. She disappeared for a moment, then resurfaced. Her dark brown tresses lay plastered against her body; rivulets of water trickled down her arms, reflecting the dim starlight. Her hair was not the only thing that was plastered against her body. Zuko's cheeks flamed as he realized he was now able to see every detail of her body.

He hated to admit it, but the girl was beautiful in an exotic sense. She was so different from the women of his own nation. Instead of alabaster skin, hers was the same dark color as the tea she served. Her hair was dark, but not the ebony black of his own people – no, it was the rich color of mahogany wood. And her eyes, they were blue as the sky. Not the golden amber or warm browns he was used to.

He was alarmed to see how her bones stuck out of her skin. Her hips jutted out sharply. Where she should have had the gentle curves of a woman, she was all sharp angles. The bones of her spine were visible through her wet shirt. He could count her ribs.

_You did this to her._

He sat up, becoming more alert as the girl finished scrubbing her hair and skin. She had just entered a waterbending stance. His senses were on edge, ready to fight her if she tried anything. He watched and waited, and was relieved to see her move through what were obviously practice forms.

To his surprise, he found he enjoyed watching her. Waterbending moves were so fluid and smooth. Even with the chains restricting her movements, she handled her element expertly. A long trail of water obeyed her motions. Her cerulean eyes seemed to travel to another time, another place. She looked _happy._ She formed the line of water into a glimmering orb and held it between her hands. The orb turned from liquid water to solid ice and back to water again. He nearly smiled again when he saw that she was _playing._ The girl had a contented smile on her face as she idly manipulated the cool water.

Finally she let the orb fall back into the pond. Zuko was almost disappointed when the water lost its form and joined the rest of the water once more. Katara stepped out of the pond, looking for all the world like one of the spirits of legend. The Painted Lady perhaps. He shook his head - the chains rather ruined the image.

He waited patiently while she bended the remaining water off of herself, and she shivered slightly in the cool night air.

He walked over to her.

"Come back inside and get warm," placing a hand on her shoulder to gently guide her in the right direction.

She looked at him with disbelief in her eyes. He supposed she wasn't used to his concern over her comfort.

"If you fall ill, you can't serve my tea," he said gruffly.

She rolled her eyes at him.

"We can't have that, can we? Tui and La forbid! I can't be lazing around in my cell all day, can I?" she said bitterly.

They were both surprised when a chuckle escaped his lips. She raised an eyebrow at him.

"You never lost any of your fight, did you?" he asked softly.

"You're in a strange mood tonight," she observed.

"Maybe I'm in a better mood because you smell more pleasant now," he said, baiting her.

She glared at him, blue fire sparking in her eyes. "It's your own fault. You didn't allow me to bathe!"

"And why do you think that is, _waterbender_?" he asked pointedly.

Katara let out an exasperated sigh. "Yes, I know why. It doesn't mean I liked it."

The two benders arrived back at the cell, and the guards opened the door. Zuko followed her inside the small room.

"I will expect to see you tomorrow afternoon then. Unless, of course, you fall ill from your crazy escapade in the pond," he said lightly.

The girl looked at him for a moment, confusion in her gaze.

He turned to leave when he heard a quiet whisper behind him.

"Thank you. For tonight. It meant so much to be near it again, even just for a little while," she said, her head bowed toward the floor. Her curtain of hair concealed her face.

"If you remain trustworthy, perhaps we can make it a habit to visit the pond," he said, turning once more to go.

She turned her back to him, saying nothing more.

* * *

Katara rolled over on her cot, unable to sleep. She was more comfortable than she had been in weeks. Her belly was finally full, and she was clean, but at what price?

Was his ploy to make her trust him so she would tell her secrets? As time went on, it was becoming more difficult _not_ to trust him. He had been treating her with kindness – he had seemed almost human. She had glimpsed someone else under the hard surface he projected. Someone capable of compassion.

She pounded her fist on the hard sleeping surface, then rolled over. She spit a few wayward strands of hair from her mouth.

She hated him. And she hated that she hated him for an entirely different reason. She hated him for putting a soul behind his stone face and his cruel demeanor.

She preferred the time when she only knew his visage through statues and paintings. The cold stone of the statues was easier to hate. It was easy to look upon his likeness and despise everything he had done to her people, to her country, to her.

But now…she could look into his eyes. Those amber eyes. When they had first met, his eyes were cold and full of hatred and cruelty. Now she could find warmth in them.

_What is the man doing to me? I want to hate him._

Katara was nearly certain that he would abuse any trust she afforded him. She could not let her guard down.

_What if it's not a ploy? What if I'm breaking through?_

She closed her eyes.

_Don't be stupid._

_The minute you let your guard down, he will take your trust and smash it to bits, destroying you in the process._

Her thoughts were interrupted by a commotion outside her cell. She was glad for the distraction. Standing up, she quietly padded to the door. Nervously, she put her ear to the metal surface, trying to distinguish words from the cacophony of voices. She expected the door to swing open at any moment, but it never did.

She picked up pieces of shouted orders. Her ears heard the words _Water Tribe_ and _prisoner _and _escape._ Footsteps clanged down the hall, and she carefully backed away from the door. To her disbelief, an exchange between two guards took place right outside her door. She could hear bits of the conversation without putting her ear to the door.

"…Fire Lord won't be happy…"

"…pity the guard who…"

"…man escaped, don't know…"

"…does the Fire Lord know yet?..."

Katara held in a gasp as she realized what the men were saying. One of the Water Tribe prisoners had escaped. If he made it back to the Northern Tribe, he would be able to bring word that she and the other prisoners were still alive. Her mind rejoiced at the news.

Her joy was dampened as she realized the ramifications. What if they mounted a rescue party? How many more would die in the attempt? What if Bato came? If he knew, he would be first in line to lead the rescue attempt. Katara couldn't bear the thought of his death. Although not related by blood, he was the only family she had left.

_Oh La, what if Master Pakku came?_

He was a great master, but he would surely be overwhelmed here in the Fire Nation capital. He wouldn't risk himself or his nation would he?

She tried to push the thought out of her mind and began to instead think of the unfortunate guards who had allowed the escape to take place. She hadn't liked the tone of terror in the guards' voices as they spoke of Zuko.

It helped bring her back to reality. The Fire Lord was a cruel man. Surely he would execute the poor souls who had been guarding the escaped prisoner. She had seen him in action; she had heard the horror stories. He had no compassion. His behavior with her _must_ be an act.

She walked back over to her cot and lay down. Sleep was long in coming.

* * *

Zuko sat on the throne, the orange flames crackling menacingly in front of him. To say he had been furious when he learned of the Water Tribesman's escape was an understatement. The Fire Lord had immediately requested the offending guards be sent to the throne room.

He had stalked into the room a few minutes ago, his boots stomping on the hard marble floor. He ascended the throne, and lit the fire wall with a quick gesture. The flames heaved up and down with his breath. He closed his eyes and attempted to meditate to calm himself before the men arrived.

His breathing had become more steady by the time the two guards entered the room. He watched them through narrowed eyes; they hesitantly walked up to the base of the throne. Zuko felt a wave of disgust wash over him at the naked fear on their faces.

"Explain yourselves," he commanded, his quiet voice nearly an echo in the grand chamber.

The two men shared a glance, and the braver of the two spoke. He stuttered as he spoke.

"M-my lord, we had been ordered to transfer the man to another cell. The p-prisoner attacked us while in transit. We thought…we thought he was weak and sick. He barely moved when we picked him up. Suddenly, he seemed to move with the strength of ten men. He used the shackles on his wrists to hit me on the head. I was knocked unconscious. Daiki," he looked over to his fellow guard, "attempted to restrain the man, but was overpowered. The prisoner managed to elude all of us – he found one of the secret passages and escaped into the hills. The rest of the guards organized a search party – they are combing the hillside even now."

The man's eyes never left the smooth marble floor. When he finished speaking, he prostrated himself before Zuko, as did his friend.

"A thousand apologies, my lord!" he cried.

The Fire Lord's chest heaved with barely-contained anger.

"My own prison guards…overwhelmed by an ill, weak, half-starved _water peasant!_ Do you realize what it will mean if this man carries information back to the Water Tribe?" he said dangerously.

"I swear by Agni, my lord, it will not happen again!" the man whispered, his voice shaking in fear.

"That's true. It will not." Zuko felt the fire burn through his body and come to life in his palm. He glanced dispassionately at the two men cowering before him, and then at the brilliant flame in his hand.

He readied himself to put these pathetic men out of their misery, when a curious thing happened.

All Zuko could see was the waterbender's face. Her disappointed face, her expression laced with horror. And he couldn't do it.

_Damn her! What is she doing to me?_

He closed his fist angrily, snuffing out the flame.

"Get out of my sight!" he hissed. "You are banished. If you _ever_ set foot on Fire Nation soil again, you will be executed on the spot!"

The guards hesitated, as if they did not quite believe they were still among the living.

"GET OUT! Before I kill you myself!" Zuko shouted, the ceremonial flames shooting up to the ceiling in his anger.

The guards practically flew out of the room, and the Fire Lord was left wondering what had just happened.

* * *

The next afternoon, Katara entered the Fire Lord's study, once more bearing tea. She glanced over at the young man. He appeared to be in a foul temper today. He briefly looked up to glare at her, then returned his attention to the scroll that lay before him.

No doubt his dark mood had something to do with the escaped prisoner. While Katara's heart soared with hope at the thought that one of her fellow warriors had escaped the Fire Nation's clutches, she worried about the fate of the guards who had allowed it to happen.

There had been furtive whispers just beyond her cell door, but she could not determine what they had said, or whether the men had lived or died. She looked at the Fire Lord out of the corner of her eye. His hands currently held a scroll and an ink brush, but had they held fire last night? Had those hands dealt the killing blow to two innocent men?

She shuddered at the thought. Her eyes avoided his as he stood and walked over to the table.

He sat down with a sigh, and quietly sipped his tea.

_This is a really stupid idea…_

She had to know.

"Zuko?" she ventured.

He didn't answer.

Katara remained silent, unsure of whether to try again.

"What?" he answered suddenly.

The waterbender nearly jumped out of her skin when he spoke.

"I am aware that one of the prisoners escaped last night," she began, and paused.

"Yes," he said curtly.

"Is he still free?" she asked.

"It is no business of yours," he said, a sharp edge in his voice.

It was now or never.

"I was wondering…what became of the guards who were watching him?" she asked, her voice quiet.

That got his attention.

"I banished them. They are never to set foot on Fire Nation soil again," he said with finality.

"Oh," she said simply, and her shoulders sagged in relief. So he hadn't killed them. Once again, he had proven that he wasn't a completely merciless bastard.

She felt his attention turn to her, and she looked up at him.

Confusion was written across his face.

"You perplex me, waterbender. Why should you care what happens to two enemy guards? And why should you be relieved when you learn that they still live?"

Katara was quiet a moment. Why did she care? Surely a large part of it was that she was trying to reconcile the Fire Lord's personality in her mind with her previous ideas of him. What was true and what was a lie?

She decided on an answer – which was certainly part of the truth, just not the whole truth.

"They were two innocent people who were merely trying to do their duty to their country. I can't fault that. I suppose I felt guilty that happy news for me very possibly meant their deaths," she explained.

He nodded, seeming to accept her answer.

He put his tea cup down on the tray, and Katara cleaned up the tea service. She once more prepared to surrender herself to the guards waiting outside the door.

She stopped when she heard his voice behind her.

"Katara!" he said sharply, command in his voice.

"Yes?" she answered, keeping her back toward him.

"Tomorrow, I wish for you to tell me about that ridiculous pastime you called penguin sledding," he ordered.

Katara's eyebrows rose toward the ceiling, and she answered him, not bothering to turn around.

"Very well," she said simply. She walked out of the room, trying to keep the ghost of a smile off of her face.

* * *

The next afternoon, Katara quietly prepared tea in the Fire Lord's study. He hadn't looked up as she walked in, so she ignored him and went about her business. She finished, poured two cups of tea, and waited for him to join her.

He finished with the document he was overlooking, and walked over to the low table. Katara wondered about his curious request the day before, and was unsure if he even remembered. She shifted her weight while she waited for him to speak.

He took a sip of his tea, then his rough voice cut through the silence.

"So, you had promised to tell me about penguin sledding," he prompted.

Katara allowed a rare, small smile to form on her lips. "Indeed I did."

He stared at her, waiting for her to continue.

"Penguin sledding was not exactly an activity my parents encouraged. First of all, there was plenty of work to keep us busy around the village, and we were expected to help with chores. Second, it's pretty dangerous."

"So how do you penguin sled?" Zuko interrupted.

"I'm getting there. Just be patient and listen to my story!" she chastised.

Zuko looked at her almost…sheepishly. She nearly laughed at the sight.

"I will tell you about the time that Sokka," she paused as a lump formed in her throat, "and I got in lots of trouble for sneaking out to penguin sled."

"We were not to leave the igloo that day. Sokka and I had gotten into a fight the previous day, and our punishment was that we were not to leave the igloo. Bad enough on a normal day, but we had just had fresh snow, and all the other children were out playing. It was _perfect_ for penguin sledding."

"So, Sokka and I formed a plan to sneak out early in the morning, before anyone else was awake. It was summer, so there was still dim light even during nighttime. Makes it a little hard to sneak out," she said with a small laugh.

"Anyway, somehow we managed to get out of the village without waking anyone. We climbed to the top of the hill, where a group of penguins usually gathered. Now, you have to be careful when picking your penguin. You want to pick a nice sleek one, so it will slide over the snow nice and fast, but you want him to have a little weight, otherwise you're in for a rough ride."

"Once you've chosen, you have to catch the penguin, which can be difficult. Basically you have to sneak up behind him, and tackle him. Their escape response is to slide down the hill as fast as possible on their belly, so you just have to make sure you hang on once he goes belly down!"

"So Sokka and I each managed to choose our penguin. He chose one that looked very fast, and I was a little worried. Usually they stop before hitting the water, but I had a bad feeling about that one. We both jumped our penguins at the same time, and raced each other down the hill. My penguin came to a stop before hitting the water, but Sokka's kept going. He disappeared into the water."

As she told her story, she observed the young man across from her begin to lean ever so slightly forward, eager to hear the rest of the tale.

"I panicked. I knew that grown men had disappeared into that water, and never to emerge. Sokka was only ten years old at the time. I had only just learned of my waterbending abilities, and the only thing I knew how to do was push and pull the water. Well, the most amazing thing happened. Out of pure instinct, I raised a huge wave that carried Sokka back onto the land."

"He was shivering very badly, and his lips were turning blue. I knew I had to get him home. I removed what water I could from him, and together we made it back to our village. After Sokka was warmed up and our parents were assured that we were both alive and well, we received the worst tongue-lashing of our lives! It became legendary among the children of the village," she said with a wistful laugh.

"Sokka and I were grounded for the next two moon cycles, but in the end we both decided it had been worth it. It was the best penguin sled ride either of us had ever had."

She took a sip of her tea, her tale complete.

She looked in disbelief over the edge of her cup when she heard a snort of laughter from Zuko.

"That's quite an adventure. I think one day I would like to try penguin sledding," he said lightly.

"I'd like to see you try it," Katara returned. She nearly laughed at the image of him trying to penguin sled in full Fire Lord regalia.

"So what did you do for fun growing up around here?" she asked curiously.

Zuko seemed to freeze for a moment, and Katara immediately regretted asking.

"Fun… was not something we had a lot of around here," he admitted.

"Evidently," Katara replied.

A sudden light came to the man's golden eyes, and Katara looked at him, curious.

"Although, there was the one time that Azula came up with this prank to play on Minister Sheng…"

A few minutes later, their laughter echoed down the halls.

* * *

Azula's amber eyes observed her brother and the waterbender through a crack in a secret doorway that led into the study. She had been curious to see how teatime with the waterbender was coming along. Zuko had seemed a bit…softer as of late.

She watched the Water Tribe girl prepare the tea and wait for the Fire Lord. Then he took a sip of his tea. Surely, to most people, this would be nothing out of the ordinary. To Azula, it was earth-shattering. Her brother, her paranoid brother, _always_ let his companion take the first sip of tea, just to make sure the other had not poisoned the brew.

Apparently, for reasons unbeknownst to her, Zuzu trusted this little water peasant. Her perfectly arched eyebrow raised toward the ceiling. This was an interesting development. Perhaps it was time to carry out her plans, and the waterbender was just the person to help.

She watched the pair for a while longer, and grew more disgusted with her brother. She couldn't quite make out what the two were saying, but she wanted to wipe the happy, content look off of her brother's face. Was he so weak that the waterbender was influencing him?

She heard the two share a laugh, and with a roll of her eyes, she turned to walk back down the secret corridor. She would visit the waterbender tonight – if she waited any longer, it might be too late. It seemed the waterbender was beginning to develop a soft spot for Zuko. That would not do at all. It was time to act.

* * *

Katara had just finished her dinner when the door to her cell creaked open. She looked up abruptly, as she hadn't expected anyone to enter. She suppressed a shudder when her eyes came upon the figure of Zuko's calculating sister.

Katara narrowed her blue eyes at the other woman. "What do you want?"

Azula immediately cut to the point. "I have a proposal for you. It's one that will guarantee your freedom."

As much as she didn't trust the Fire Nation royal, her curiosity was piqued.

"I'm listening," she said quietly.

"You are in a unique position. You serve tea to my brother, and moreover, he trusts you. He drinks out of his teacup before you drink from yours. I have never known him to be so careless with his food. You never know when it might be laced with poison."

Azula paused and let her words sink in.

Katara's mind reeled. This woman, whom she loathed, was offering her a chance to win her freedom, and ultimately rid the world of Fire Lord Zuko. A few months before, she would not have even thought of hesitating. A world without the Fire Lord would be better off. Another one, most likely Azula herself, would take his place, but she was the last remaining member of the immediate royal family.

If Azula could be conquered, the Fire Nation would erupt in civil war over the line of succession. They would be weakened.

But…could she do it? Tui curse him, he had shown her that there was a soul underneath his frightening visage. He had shown her that he _was_ capable of laughter, of compassion.

"What if I did not agree to your plan? How do you know I wouldn't tell Zuko?" she asked.

Azula's smooth voice cut through the air. "I think you remember that we still have six Water Tribe prisoners left. I have given the guards an order to dispatch them in the event of my arrest."

Katara's eyes widened.

"How did you explain your visit to me to the guards? Surely they will be curious," she observed.

Azula's expression was threatening. "My brother is not the only one who can inspire fear. Trust me. The guards won't talk," she said darkly.

She continued.

"Perhaps you need more reassurance. In the chaos that will be sure to follow, I will arrange your escape. I can get you outside the city walls, but after that, you are on your own."

"Zuko is in the room each day when I prepare the tea, and before I enter, the guards are with me. How do you expect me to do it?"

"I will ensure that a pressing matter calls him away immediately before your arrival. You will only need a few moments alone."

Katara finally nodded, bile rising in her throat.

_It's for the good of the world._

_It's for your freedom._

Azula crossed the distance to Katara and handed her a small vial. The Water Tribe woman flinched when she took hold of it, as if it burned her.

"Take care that you don't touch the contents. It is quite deadly. Only a small amount is needed."

Katara hid the vial in the cuff of her sleeve.

"Tomorrow, waterbender. All you have to do is put it in the tea. I will take care of the rest."

And with that, she was gone.


	7. Poison

**Author's notes: **Goodness, it's already been another week! Another long week at work – I have to say, I usually like the cold weather, but I'm ready to have my Florida warmth back!

As always, thanks and never-ending adoration goes out to my reviewers: **Tigerlilysmile**** , ****AnnaAza**** , ****sokkantylee**** , ****hg-always****, ****Katey123****, ****Sumhope****, ****InItToWinIT****, ****beastlySmalless****, ****secretsofadarkangel****, ****ArrayePL**, and **DefyGravity2502** (thanks for the *squee*, by the way. Made my day!). Thanks to all who added me to alerts and favorites too!

Okay, I'll shut up now. Here it is.

* * *

_Heaven bent to take my hand  
And lead me through the fire  
Be the long awaited answer  
To a long and painful fight_

_Truth be told I've tried my best  
But somewhere along the way  
I got caught up in all there was to offer  
And the cost was so much more than I could bear_

_Though I've tried, I've fallen...  
I have sunk so low  
I have messed up  
Better I should know  
So don't come round here  
And tell me I told you so..._

-Sarah McLachlan, _Fallen

* * *

_

The following afternoon, Katara's heart pounded in her ears as the guards escorted her down the now-familiar halls toward Zuko's study. Each foot step sounded as a death knell. She was not one to have a weak stomach – after all, she had learned to gut and clean a seal whale at the age of six – but she felt as if she were in immediate danger of losing the contents of her stomach.

It wasn't as if she hadn't killed before. She had certainly killed many, but it had always been on a field of battle. However, that was a place where opponents met as equals; it was kill or be killed. The enemy parties knew the risks and accepted them.

Poison. She had always thought of poison as a coward's way of dealing with an enemy. The victim had no opportunity to fight back – indeed, they were unaware of even entering a fight. It was quiet. Usually undetectable. It did not pit one's battle prowess against another. It was dishonorable.

As much as the idea disgusted her, this was the only possibility of escape that she had. She had been over it a million times in her head. The world would be better off with Zuko. Perhaps the war would end in her lifetime – if she escaped with her life, that is. If peace for the world meant sacrificing her personal morals, then she must find the strength to do it.

Katara had to make a conscious effort not to look down at the cuff of her sleeve.

_What if the vial falls out? What if the guards discover the plot?_

She had checked over and over before the guards had come for her to make sure that the vial was secure. She knew it wasn't going anywhere, but she felt as if that incongruous piece of glass was announcing its existence to the world.

She halfway expected one of the guards to seize her arm and expose her for what she was.

_Murderer. Assassin. Coward._

Her knees nearly gave out on her when they arrived at the heavy wooden doors. She was allowed entry.

_What if that fire witch didn't fulfill her end of the deal? What if he's still in here? I don't think I could hide it._

Her blue eyes darted around the room when she entered. True to her word, Azula had gotten Zuko away from the room. Taking a deep, shuddering breath, Katara walked over to the low table. She closed her eyes briefly as she realized this would be the last time.

Vaguely she wondered about the poison. Did it act quickly? Would he perish before her eyes? Was it painful? Would he suffer?

_No! You can't think of these things._

She hated the tears that rose to her eyes, and she was horrified at the emotions she was feeling.

She finished steeping the tea. Her mind panicked as she realized he could return at any minute. It was time. She reached into her sleeve and carefully pulled out the vial full of white powder. Her hand shook violently as she held it. She stared at it for a long moment, unable to remove the cork.

She took one more breath, her shoulders heaving with the effort. She reached for the cork – and stopped. Images and memories flashed through her mind.

_Zuko offering her a hand down from the Komodo rhino, even though she rejected each time._

_Zuko telling her to eat the fruit tarts._

_Zuko inviting her to sit while he took his tea._

_Zuko personally ensuring that she had received a decent meal._

_Zuko escorting her to the garden pond, and smiling at her waterbending when he thought she wasn't looking._

_Zuko telling her he hadn't killed the guards after the prison escape._

_Zuko smiling at her stories of home, and sharing small bits of his own past._

_Zuko offering her a small smile and an almost tender gaze._

And she realized she couldn't do it. Not for her country, not for the world, not for herself. Her hand still grasped the despicable vial when she felt a searing pain around her neck. She cried out in agony, and the vial fell to the floor, bouncing off the soft carpet.

The pressure on her neck increased as her attacker adjusted his position from behind her to face her. Katara could feel the skin on her neck blistering from his scalding-hot hand. She couldn't breathe. She hadn't even heard him enter the room.

_Stupid, Katara! And now…he thinks you were going to do it. That you were so heartless that you would kill him in such a dishonorable way._

She let out a strangled sound as she struggled for breath. Pure terror overcame her – she had never seen him so furious and out of control. He had a look of feral rage in his eyes. In that moment, she was truly afraid of him.

Then, as quickly as he had grasped her, he let go. Some awareness seemed to come over him, and his complexion became even more pale when his gaze landed on her burned, blistered neck. The leather of her mother's necklace was still smoking. He backed away from her slowly, and he ever so slightly shook his head.

He bellowed for the guards, who promptly ran into the room.

"Take her back to her cell. Remove everything from the room. She gets _nothing._ No food, no water, no bed, no light. She can rot on the stone floor," he growled.

"You!" he gestured to one of the guards. "I know who put her up to this. Summon the Imperial Firebenders. My sister is behind this plot. She is to be placed under arrest. Close the gates of the city. I'm sure she is trying to escape even now. Anyone who allows her escape will be executed – immediately," he said, his voice dangerously low.

To her eternal humiliation, Katara could not stem the tears that flowed down her face as she was dragged back to her cell.

* * *

Zuko felt a somewhat weary satisfaction as his sister, who was currently restrained by several layers of chains and about twenty of his most skilled guards, was brought before him. Her look was deadly, but her voice was sickly sweet when she spoke to him.

"Zuzu, you look well this evening," she said.

"What I'm sure you mean is I look much more _alive_ than you expected," he shot back.

Azula's amber eyes narrowed even further. "I should have known the water peasant wouldn't be able to pull it off. Sadly, I was forced to rely on her. I gambled and I lost – I'll admit that," she said grudgingly. She sighed dramatically. "Well, if you want something done, you had better do it yourself," she said, and in an instant a plume of flame emitted from her mouth.

Zuko dropped to the ground and rolled out of the way, but the guard standing next to him was too slow. He fell to the floor screaming.

The Fire Lord was on his feet in a flash, restrained his sister, and screamed for a gag dipped in oil. The flammable material would keep her from trying that trick again.

Once Azula was under control, Zuko pinched the bridge of his nose. "What am I going to do with you, Zula?"

He looked at her. His little sister. His rival. The little girl he hadn't been able to protect from their father. She glared at him, madness and loathing in her eyes.

He motioned to the guards. "Take her to the dungeons. Place her in the most secure cell. I want an entire contingent of guards placed around her cell. She is not to have any amenities. I'll decide what to do with her later."

He sighed as he watched the small form of his sister disappear through the door, flanked by guards.

* * *

Upon news of Azula's arrest, the remaining six Water Tribe warriors mysteriously passed away in their cells.

* * *

During the early hours of the morning, Zuko sat at the heavy desk in his study, staring blindly at his tea table.

_How could she?_

The fire flared in the fireplace. He focused on the flames, trying to calm his mind.

_I opened myself to her. I was trying to get her to trust me._

Of course, the original reason he had been trying to gain her trust was to gather information from her. He wasn't sure when it had stopped being about the information and evolved into being about her. He cursed as he thought about her expressive blue eyes. He tried not to think about the way her face lit up as she talked about penguin sledding; about how she had laughed as he told his tale. By Agni, she had made _him_ laugh! He couldn't even remember the last time he had laughed. It had been strangely freeing.

The one image he could not erase from his mind was that of her burned and blistered neck. A memory had immediately come over him when he saw the damage he had inflicted upon her.

_He had been ten years old. Azula had been eight. He had been practicing with his swords out in the courtyard – a rare moment of solitude. Suddenly, Azula had come flying down the marble steps and ran off into the trees._

_Concerned, he had followed her. Azula never ran off. He found her hiding among the cherry trees. It was spring – the colorful blossoms were blowing in the wind. When he found her, she had been frantically wiping at her eyes with her sleeve. Her golden eyes were red and puffy from tears._

"_Zula? What's wrong?"_

"_Nothing! Go away!"_

_She turned her back from him, and in the moment, the high collar of her tunic had shifted. He glimpsed the telltale signature of a bad burn. Worried, he grabbed at her arm. She had tried to shove him away, but he was stronger._

_He managed to tug down the collar of her tunic, and gasped at what he saw. Angry red blisters covered her pale neck – in the distinct shape of a hand._

"_Zula…what…?_

"_It's nothing. Father was not pleased with my firebending drills today, and he punished me. Now I shall work harder," she said, stone faced. "Now leave me alone!"_

_Zuko hadn't known what else to do. He had hated his father more in that moment than he ever had, or ever would. He vowed he would never hurt a woman or child like that._

Seeing the burn on the waterbender's neck in the shape of his _own_ hand had rocked him to the core. He had finally become what he had sworn he would not. He was forever cursed to live under the shadow of his father.

He had been filled with such blinding rage as he watched her holding that vial. He had seen the white powder inside; he knew exactly what it was and what she was planning.

And he had been hurt, betrayed.

Now, as he replayed the incident in his mind, he saw her hesitate. She had moved once more, but what had she decided? Was she moving to pour the poison into the tea? Or had she changed her mind?

He had to know.

* * *

Katara sat on the cold stone floor in the darkness, feeling wretched. Physically, she felt awful. She was very hungry, and it hadn't helped that the moment she had been tossed back into the cell, her stomach had unwillingly emptied its contents. To make things worse, she had nothing with which to clean herself. There was absolutely nothing in her cell. Hence her current position – she leaned back on the wall, her knees pulled up to her chest. She shivered in the darkness. The damp cold of the stone was chilling her to the bone.

Her physical discomfort was nothing compared to her emotional pain. She wanted more than anything to be able to explain to him that she wasn't going to do it. Once again, she felt tears run down her face.

_Why do I care what he thinks? I should hate him._

And there was the rub. She had come to the conclusion that she didn't hate him. Her confusion over her feelings added to her anguish. She just didn't understand why she cared. A realization came over her – she hated _herself_ for caring about him. Here he was, a man who had helped extinguish her culture, a man the world despised, and she had faltered at the opportunity to kill him because she _cared_ for him.

In frustration, she lightly knocked the back of her head against the cold stone wall behind her. She felt an anguished scream bubble up from the depths of her soul, and she clamped her teeth down on her lips to prevent it from escaping. She didn't release her hold until she tasted the metallic tinge of blood.

Hours passed, and she wondered what was to become of her. His last words regarding her fate rang through her head.

_She can rot on the stone floor._

Would he truly leave her here to starve to death? Would she become a corpse on this very stone floor? Would they leave her skeleton behind, forgotten forever?

The lock creaking in the door dragged her out of her grim reverie. She wondered who could possibly be coming for her. Surely Zuko hadn't had a sudden change of heart and ordered dinner for her?

Her eyes adjusted to the dim, flickering light emitted from a lantern, and her eyes widened as she took in the identity of the lantern's bearer.

Zuko.

He was alone. For once, his shaggy hair hung into his face rather than being pulled atop his head. He wore a crimson and gold hooded robe that dragged a trail through the dirt on the floor.

Had he come to execute her here and now? It seemed almost merciful, after the slow death she had just recently been contemplating. Perhaps he had come merely to torture her.

"Katara."

She looked up at him, her gaze wary. She was at once troubled by the tired look in his eyes. She had expected his face to be twisted in anger. He didn't look furious…he looked haunted.

She waited for him to speak.

"I need to know something," he stated simply. He remained in his position across the room; she saw his white-knuckle grip on the handle of the lantern. His other hand stayed on the door.

"Yes?" she asked, her hands playing at the hem of her tunic.

"I was watching you this afternoon, before –" he stopped a moment, unable to say it. "You seemed to hesitate. Why?" he demanded.

Katara looked at him, troubled. "I…I am not entirely sure why. I've been wondering about it all afternoon. I think…I think I hesitated because I realized-" she took a deep breath, "-that I care for you. I couldn't do it. As much as the world needs to be rid of you, _I_ could not be rid of you," she admitted.

She anxiously awaited his answer. A million possibilities flitted through her mind in a second – would he laugh at her mockingly, gloating over how she had played right into his hands? Would he remain quiet, horrified at her admission? Would he just kill her then and there and be done with it?

He did none of these things. He curtly nodded, seeming to give a cool acceptance to her answer. He then turned on his heel and fled the cell, taking the light with him. Katara was once again alone in the darkness, which was made even darker by her musings.

* * *

Zuko sat quietly on the Fire Nation throne. He had just concluded a meeting with his council. His advisors had all filed out of the room, leaving Zuko alone, and he stared blankly at the stone columns of the room.

Amidst the usual workings of the meeting – grain prices, taxes, a governor of one of the western provinces asking for funds – he had been informed that the remaining six Water Tribe men had all mysteriously perished in their cells. The deaths had taken place immediately following Azula's incarceration.

It was obvious that Azula had ordered the execution of the men in the event of her arrest. Zuko found this very disconcerting for several reasons. Firstly, it meant that Azula had far more influence over the prison guards than he had previously thought. In response to the news, he had ordered several more guards to stand watch over her cell, and specifically named a few men he trusted implicitly. He had then threatened the death of any who allowed the escape of his sister.

Another reason he found the Water Tribe deaths disturbing is that it had become clear to him that Azula was holding the lives of these men over Katara's head. Had his sister threatened the Water Tribe girl with her fellow warriors' deaths if she didn't go along with the plan? Perhaps she had only threatened her with their deaths if Katara had informed him of Azula's plans. At any rate, it seemed that there were other influencing factors in Katara's original decision to poison him other than her hatred of his actions.

Perhaps most disconcerting of all to him on a deeper level was the fact that he felt _sorry_ for Katara. The girl would most certainly be devastated to learn of the death of her friends, and he knew she would place the blame on herself. It wasn't her fault – Azula and the traitorous guards were the sole responsible parties – but he knew that the Water Tribe girl would never see it that way.

His mind drifted through plans to expose the guards who were loyal to Azula. It was imperative that he determine who they were very quickly. If he didn't figure it out soon, his sister would find a way to escape. All it would take would be one guard loyal to her.

His head snapped up as he heard the heavy doors to the room being thrown open. He was about to chastise his subordinate for entering the room unannounced, but paused as the man skidded to a stop in front of the throne, panting for breath. The messenger looked absolutely petrified.

"M-my lord…she…your sister…has escaped," he gasped.

* * *

Azula had waited patiently in her cell, her mind calculating her plan while she waited for the guard to release her. She had promised the man a very large sum of gold in exchange for his assistance in her escape. He had been hesitant at first, understandably fearful of the wrath of the Fire Lord, but he had a rather large gambling debt. The gold would ensure that his wife would not find out about the gambling debt, and he would escape a rather unpleasant fate if the debt was paid off. She had promised him that the Fire Lord would never find out about the exchange. In reality, she was sure he would, but the guard didn't need to know that.

She closed her eyes in meditation as she envisioned the route she would take out of the city. The princess had been prepared for this very event for quite a while, and had stashed supplies and a large sum of gold in one of the underground tunnels that led out of the palace and ultimately out of the city. She had memorized the path through the honeycomb maze of tunnels. They were old lava tunnels – once, they had had molten rock coursing through them. Now they lay dark and empty, and were a rather convenient conveyance out of the city. The Water Tribe prisoner that had escaped had somehow found his way through them – quite a feat without knowing the way out of the maze.

Once she escaped the confines of the city walls, she would buy passage on a ship to take her to the Earth Kingdom, where she would make her way to Ba Sing Se. She still had Dai Li agents loyal to her in the great city. From there, she would build her army for her eventual takeover of the world.

The lock of her door clicked.

_First things first. Time to escape.

* * *

_

The Fire Lord's infamous temper had reared its ugly head, and each occupant of the palace avoided their sovereign like the plague. In the aftermath immediately following his sister's escape, he had sent out every available soldier to hunt for her. He had closed the gates of the city, and had entire companies of soldiers searching the underground catacombs. The following day, they were forced to admit defeat. She was nowhere to be found. A rumor that she had been spotted buying passage to the Earth Kingdom in a village just north of the palace city had reached the Fire Lord's ears, and he dispatched troops to the village to search for her, but to no avail. He had sent word to his navy to intercept any ship en route to the Earth Kingdom.

He had raged and threatened the execution of anyone who came near him in the next few days. He focused his attention on finding the guard responsible for assisting with his sister's escape. Messengers drew straws to determine who would be the one to deliver updates on the situation to the furious young man.

Zuko sat in his study, his eyes boring into the latest unfortunate messenger. He tried to suppress disgust at the boy's obvious fear as he worked himself up to delivering the news.

Zuko watched the messenger's throat work up and down as he struggled to get the words out.

"My lord," he paused for a breath, "irrefutable evidence has been found linking one of the guards to Princess Azula's escape."

Every fire in the room flared in that moment.

"What is the evidence?" Zuko inquired calmly.

"It was just discovered that one of the guards, who had a large gambling debt, received a large sum of gold immediately following the princess' escape. He was the guard closest to her cell at the time of her escape. Protocol was not followed, and he was the only one present during the changing of the guards. He claims he won the money by gambling, but one of the guards witnessed him removing the gold from a secret compartment in one of the prison hallways – one that directly led to Princess Azula's cell," the messenger informed him.

"Have the Imperial Guard place him under arrest, and tell them to deliver him to the throne room in one hour," Zuko said, his voice dangerously low.

"As you wish, your highness," the messenger said, and practically flew out of the room.

* * *

Once more, Zuko sat impatiently behind the ceremonial wall of flames in the throne room, waiting for yet another traitorous man to be brought before him. He knew he had been in a foul temper for the past couple of days. It hadn't escaped his notice that everyone in the palace was avoiding him when possible.

He looked up through narrowed eyes when the door opened, and two of his guards shoved a protesting man in.

"I don't know what you're talking about! I know nothing of the princess' escape! Someone else must have-" he stopped as the Fire Lord's authoritative voice filled the room.

"Silence!" Zuko interrupted.

He glowered darkly at the man, who cringed under his gaze.

"I have received information that you were the guard who unlocked Princess Azula's cell," he began.

In Zuko's experience, guilty men babbled on and on about their innocence. And babble this man did.

"My lord, I don't know what evidence you have, but clearly someone – maybe the real guilty party – is lying about what they saw, and I don't even know what they saw, but I was guarding another cell when –" he was cut off once more as Zuko held up his hand.

"Another guard – a very _trustworthy_ guard – observed you removing a sack of gold coins from a secret compartment in the hallway in the chaos following my sister's escape. You were on duty that night, and you were in close proximity to her cell at the time of her escape. No one else fits the crime so neatly," he said. After a pause, he continued, "I am also aware you were in dire need of the money. I know about your little gambling debt."

The man's jaw worked for a moment as he tried to come up with an answer.

"I-I had heard a rumor about the secret compartment, and that someone had stashed some money in there. The disorganization following the princess' escape was the perfect opportunity to see if it was true," he managed to stammer out.

"Do you think that I am so foolish as to believe your lies?" Zuko said, the flames climbing steadily higher.

"N-no my lord. I mean, I'm not-" he stopped once more as Zuko spoke over him.

"Clearly you do. You are a traitor to the Fire Nation. You have allowed a prisoner to escape – one who is a grave threat to our national security. Do you know what the punishment for that is?" he asked as if speaking to a child.

The man merely nodded and bowed his head to the ground.

Zuko sighed. "If you hadn't lied, I may have shown you mercy. You are far beyond that."

Once more, Zuko felt the fire burn up inside him. He saw the waterbender's disappointed face in front of him again, but he chose to ignore her. The fire, burning bright blue, welled up from inside of him and shot toward the former prison guard.

A few moments later, he commanded someone to clean up the charred remains, and he stalked out of the room.

* * *

Zuko tossed and turned in his bed, the silk sheets tangling around his body. In frustration, he tore them off and tossed them to the floor. Every time he closed his eyes, he saw the man burning…and at the moment of death, his face morphed into the face of the Water Tribe woman.

_Agni curse her!_

Before meeting her, he had never had a problem with necessary punishments. As a ruler in charge of a country during war time, he needed to deal with traitors swiftly and severely. Those who defied him were turned into an example. Others needed to know what their fate would be should they rise up against him.

But this girl, this waterbender…_Katara_…had evoked all kinds of unwanted feelings in him. He should have just killed her when she was taken into custody. It would have saved him from all of these complications. And yet, even through everything, he was not sorry he had gotten to know her.

All of his life, he had thought of the other nations as weaker; as being inferior. She had, at the very least, shown him that people of other nations could be dedicated, brave, proud, and fierce.

He sighed and rolled over. His mind started to drift off into the place somewhere between sleep and wakefulness. His amber eyes flew open in panic when he saw her in his mind's eye. She was lying on a cold stone floor, the blisters on her neck now festering wounds. She was convulsing, obviously near death.

_No…_

Once again, the voice came.

_You did this to her._

It was nearly dawn. He quickly dressed and ran down to the girl's cell.

* * *

Katara lay on the cold stone floor, her cheek mashed against the gritty surface. She was only semi-conscious now. She was vaguely aware of someone bringing her a scant amount of water once a day. It was just enough to keep her alive.

On some level, it was a curse. She was so tired. Her body was ready to give up, and she began to wish they would just let her die. However, the part of her that was a fighter, that spark within her, greedily sipped up the water, if only to survive another few hours.

The blisters on her neck had begun to fester after a few days. She had made the mistake of touching her fingers to her neck to try to discover where the pain was coming from, and was horrified to feel something warm and sticky – a mixture of blood and pus. She was living in filth, and there was nothing she could do. She tried to ignore the pain. She managed to peel away the burned leather of her mother's necklace that had been burned onto her neck, and she tucked the pendant away into the cuff of her sleeve.

The hunger she could deal with. It was the least of her worries. It had been a painful gnawing in her belly for the first couple of days, but now it was just a vague numbness.

At first, she had tried to keep up her strength and muscle tone by slowly walking the length of her pitch black cell. It got to the point where she could no longer stand, and she sat leaning against the chilly stone wall.

Now, things were worse. She no longer had the strength to sit upright, and she feared the infection in her neck was spreading elsewhere. If no one helped her, she would be dead within the next day or two. Soon, her awareness left her, and she drifted slowly in and out of consciousness.

Her eyes opened, unable to focus, when a light filled her cell. A familiar figure entered, froze, and then ran to her side. He was yelling something. Water…

_Why is he yelling? It hurts…_

She felt herself being lifted into a pair of strong arms. She struggled to remain conscious, but in the end it required too much effort. She slipped into unawareness as she felt cool water around her neck.


	8. Healing

**Author's notes: **Well, we are about to embark on the second to last chapter of Part 1!! Hope you guys are excited!

Thanks and eternal gratitude goes out to my reviewers: **Tigerlilysmile**** , ****AnnaAza**** , ****sokkantylee**** , ****hg-always****, ****Katey123****, ****Sumhope****, ****InItToWinIT****, ****secretsofadarkangel****, ****ArrayePL**, **Animus of Masada****, ****avatarthelastairbenderfreak****, ****darkangel1994****, ****ZutaraFan1031****, ****a5h13y 101****, **and **BlackMagicWhiteMagic****. **My sincere apologies for not getting around to individual replies this week. I swear my job is trying to kill me. Believe me, I appreciate all the reviews!!!

Once again, I'll shut up now!

* * *

**Healing**

* * *

_One fire burns out another's burning,_

_One pain is lessen'd by another's anguish._

--William Shakespeare, _Romeo and Juliet

* * *

_

Zuko threw open the door to the waterbender's cell, and nearly dropped the lantern to the ground as he saw the pathetic form on the floor. He felt the blood drain from his face. She looked dead.

_I killed her. Everything I touch is destroyed._

He stared at her for a moment, at a loss as to what to do, when he saw her take a shallow breath. At first, he thought it was merely his imagination playing tricks on him, but then she let out a low moan. The noise was terrible; it was full of anguish.

In a panic, he bellowed for someone to bring a healer. He clutched the lantern tightly as he brought the light closer to her. Her wound looked awful. The blisters had burst, and her flesh was oozing a mixture of pus and blood. Dried blood crusted her neck and her tunic; upon closer inspection, he found the dark color of long-dry blood underneath her fingernails. He yelled for water to clean her wound.

He scooped her into his arms as he barked out orders to the prison guards. In the space of a few minutes, the room was cleaned, outfitted with a comfortable bed, lanterns were brought in, and a healer awaited his orders.

He gently placed her on the surface of the bed. She remained unconscious, although an occasional moan would escape her lips.

The healer looked up at him questioningly, obviously uncertain of what he was supposed to do.

"My lord, what would you have me do with the prisoner?" he asked.

Zuko forced himself to rein in his temper.

"Isn't it obvious? I want you to heal her," he spat out.

The man mumbled an acknowledgement, and the Fire Lord watched as he set to work. Zuko winced as he thought of how painful it would be to clean the wounds. Thankfully the girl was still unconscious. The healer dipped a cloth into a warm bowl of water and began to wipe away the infected material.

Both men stared open-mouthed when the water began to glow a luminous blue as soon as it contacted the waterbender's skin. They watched in disbelief as the wounds seemed to clear out before their very eyes. Infected blood and pus were forced up from deep inside the ruined skin, and the healer numbly began to wipe away the fluids. Her eyes fluttered open for a split second, and then closed once more.

The ragged edges of the skin began to knit together, but as suddenly as it had appeared, the blue glow faded, and the woman seemed to sink even deeper into unconsciousness.

Zuko and the healer continued to stare at her for a moment, unable to believe what they had just witnessed. Zuko had heard rumors of waterbenders having healing abilities before, but he had dismissed the stories as mere fables. As it was, he had only heard of waterbenders being able to heal only when fully conscious. This was a reflex.

Questions formed in his mind. Could all waterbenders heal? Or was this particular waterbender special in regard to that talent? Surely she was quite powerful if she didn't even require consciousness to carry out her healing abilities.

Suddenly something she had said flitted through his mind.

_Well, the most amazing thing happened. Out of pure instinct, I raised a huge wave that carried Sokka back onto the land._

He shook his head in disbelief. This girl could perform great feats of waterbending without knowing how. She could heal herself without being conscious. What else could she do?

He looked over to the healer. The other man jumped as Zuko finally spoke.

"Continue to oversee her recovery. I want updates three times daily. I wish to be informed the minute she wakes up," he commanded.

Once again, the healer gave his acknowledgment. Zuko left the waterbender to rest and heal. There was nothing more he could do.

* * *

A week later, Katara's consciousness began to surface. She was only vaguely aware at first. She retained some dim memories – a cool cloth pressed to her neck; luminous blue light filling the room. Disbelief written on two faces – one familiar, one not. She thought she remembered being fed some broth; she had been slightly aware of a tall figure in crimson and gold standing over her, his arms crossed.

She opened her blue eyes. For the first time in a week, she realized she lay atop a comfortable bed. Her eyebrows furrowed slightly in confusion. This was her cell, but there was dim lamplight. A few chairs were scattered about the room.

"Quick! Inform the Fire Lord that she has awakened!" she heard a man quietly whisper, urgency in his voice. Footsteps quickly disappeared down the hall.

She shifted position, trying to look around the room, and immediately regretted the movement. Her neck was still very tender, and awareness came flooding back to her. The memory of how she had ended up in this state bubbled up in her mind.

_Burning. Darkness. Pain._

Carefully, she touched two of her fingers to her neck. The skin was puckered where it was still healing, but she determined she would recover nicely, although she was certain the wound would scar to a small extent.

Finally, she focused her attention on the man currently walking toward her. He was a gray-haired man, and quite elderly. He shuffled as he walked, but there was purpose in his gait. He must be the healer who had helped her. He walked up to her without a word, and inspected her wound. Seemingly pleased with what he observed, he nodded in satisfaction.

"Are you hungry?" he asked in a voice that crackled with age. He looked positively ancient.

Unable to speak yet, she nodded her head in acknowledgement. He brought a bowl of broth to her, and helped her sit up by propping some soft pillows behind her back. Katara realized she hadn't been this comfortable in ages.

As she sipped at the broth, she heard footsteps pounding down the stone floor of the hall. The door to her cell crashed open, and Zuko entered without a word.

"Leave us," he instructed the guards and the healer.

Everyone hurriedly shuffled out of the room, but the elderly healer left with a word of warning.

"My lord, undue stress may cause her to-" his voice trailed off as he saw the look in Zuko's eyes.

"Old man, you try my patience. I will not unnecessarily stress the patient," he assured the man. The elderly healer acquiesced, but still didn't seem to believe Zuko as he shuffled out of the room.

Soon the room was empty save Zuko and Katara. He looked at her worriedly. Katara tried to reconcile the current look on his face with his treatment of her prior to falling unconscious.

_Since when does he truly care for my well-being?_

If the look on his face had surprised her, his next words shocked her.

"How are you feeling?" he asked, something akin to tenderness in her voice. Katara thought she must still be dreaming.

"Much better." She paused. "What happened? How long have I been unconscious?" she inquired.

"About a week. I thought it would be much longer when I first saw you. In fact, I thought…I thought you were dead," he explained, unable to meet her gaze.

Katara closed her eyes, and Zuko must have thought she was drifting back to sleep. She heard him start to move toward the door.

Her eyes popped open again.

"Why?" she asked.

He turned to face her, his good eyebrow furrowed in confusion.

"Why what?" he said uncertainly.

"Why didn't you just let me die? It would have been so easy. I was so close – and I was ready. I was so tired of fighting," she whispered.

He spoke, but didn't answer her question.

"You didn't want to die," he said quietly. "You were still fighting to survive, even in an unconscious state. The healer…he started to clean your wounds, and the most curious thing happened," he said, a strange smile coming to his face.

Katara looked at him, waiting for him to continue.

"As soon as the water touched your neck, it began to glow a bright blue. It was the strangest thing I have ever seen. Right before our eyes, your skin seemed to expel the infection and knit itself together. I have heard of the healing abilities of waterbenders, but have never seen it in action. I never knew it was possible to bend while unconscious," he said, his voice pensive.

Katara's eyes widened.

"I knew I had healing abilities…but, I didn't know that was possible either," she said, wringing the sheets in her hands.

"The healer cleaned the wounds, but you did most of the work yourself. The healing slowed after those first few minutes, and your body seems to have stopped with the healing powers for now and is letting nature take over," he informed her.

"May I have some water?" she asked, unsure if he would grant her request. A bowl of water sat on a table, but she was too weak to summon it to herself at the moment.

Hesitantly, he retrieved the bowl for her. He watched in fascination as she dipped her hands into the clear liquid. The water coated each of her hands, and she brought them up to her neck. The water began to glow the now-familiar blue as she made contact with her injury. With conscious guidance, more evidence of her wound began to melt away.

After a few moments, she splashed the water back into the bowl. Katara hated how the simple effort of healing had exhausted her. She felt herself drifting back to the darkness. Before she completely left her awakened state, she felt the water bowl gently lifted from her hands, and a strong palm cup her cheek.

* * *

Zuko stalked through the hallways of the palace. He had just come from visiting the waterbender for the first time since she had awakened.

Why couldn't things ever be simple?

His sister was on the loose, and Agni knew what she was planning. The reports he had received from his tracking team were disappointing to say the least. The Fire Navy was detaining every vessel en route to the Earth Kingdom, but if that was where she had intended to go, she was surely there by now.

One report stated that a girl matching Azula's description had been spotted in a coastal Earth Kingdom town, but when his soldiers had attempted to detain the girl for questioning, she had disappeared. It was undoubtedly Azula, but she was long gone from that village by now.

He suspected that she was trying to contact the Dai Li agents who had helped them overtake Ba Sing Se a few years ago. The loyalty they had shown to the princess at the time had been unnerving. At this point, gathering an army of earthbenders was her best chance at staging a coup.

In addition to the threat of his sister, he had been receiving reports that the Water Tribes were massing a fleet in the waters near the northern provinces. He had lost a few more supply trains to some rogue groups – Water Tribe, he suspected.

He didn't have to think hard to determine the reason for the Water Tribe's sudden offensive. The escaped Water Tribe prisoner must have made it back to his homeland, and informed whoever passed for authority up there that their prized waterbender was still alive and in Fire Nation custody. Of course, he would report that the other six water tribesmen were still alive as well. They had been killed after the man's escape.

Zuko pinched the bridge of his nose as he thought of the ramifications of a Water Tribe invasion. He was fairly certain they would never make it past the Gates of Azulon, as they seemed to be favoring a water-borne assault, but it was possible his soldiers just hadn't detected the ground troops yet.

When it came down to it, he didn't want the war to reach the capital city. He feared he would lose the capital's citizen's support for the war if it hit home. Except for the fact that many families sent sons to war, the city was largely unaffected by the more brutal aspects of war. And so the citizens supported it.

Then, unwillingly, his thoughts turned to Katara once more. Katara. He kept trying not to think of her by name, but it was becoming more difficult as time passed. Losing her was the other possible consequence of a Water Tribe invasion. On the off chance that the enemy forces were successful, Katara would escape with them. And he would lose her.

He wearily sat down at his desk. He hated the thoughts that passed through his head, but he could no longer deny what her felt for her. She had awakened something in him.

He looked down at the scroll before him. It was a long missive regarding the price of grain. He let out a low groan. With everything currently going on, grain was the last thing he was ready to concentrate on. With a sudden motion, he rolled up the scroll, threw it aside, and headed for the training arena to let out some frustration.

* * *

Over the next few days, Katara began to regain some of her strength. The healer was an odd man. She attempted numerous times to talk to him, to ask about his family, his hobbies, anything to get him to speak. He would not even tell her his name. After many unsuccessful attempts, Katara gave up.

Each one of her questions was granted a hesitant monosyllabic answer. He was gentle with her, and continued to treat her injury, and she sensed he held some fondness for her, but she suspected he had been instructed not to speak of personal matters with her.

Zuko had come twice more to check on her progress. Unlike the first time, he had not sent the others in the room away when he came to visit. She desperately wanted to repeat her question to him, since he had never given her a direct answer.

On the fifth day, the healer had deemed her strong enough to get out of bed.

"You need to start exercising your muscles, else they will wither away to nothing," he explained.

Katara was delighted at the thought of being out of bed, and quickly swung her legs of the side of the bed. The moment she placed the burden of her full weight on her legs, she promptly collapsed.

Which was exactly the moment Zuko chose to enter the room.

Katara groaned inwardly. The last thing she wanted to do was show him any more weakness.

"What do you think you're doing?" he hissed. He sent a furious glance to the healer, who had suddenly gone deathly pale.

Katara tried to placate him.

"It's not his fault! I just wanted to try standing up, and I went too fast. Give me a minute, and I'll be fine," she said angrily.

The Fire Lord commanded the healer and the guards to leave the room, and Katara inwardly cringed as he gently helped her up. After what seemed to be an eternity, she was on her feet. She wavered slightly, and required his steadying hand, but she was standing for the first time in about two weeks.

Her blue eyes widened as he clutched her shoulders and shook her lightly. "Really, Katara, you could have hurt yourself again! You can't just get up and go right now!" he admonished.

She glared at him. "Since when do you care if I hurt myself? Have you forgotten that you're the one who put me here in the first place?" she growled, anger flashing in her eyes.

His grip on her immediately slackened.

"I'm sorry," he said softly, the words barely discernable.

Katara stared at him, open-mouthed. She looked at the proud leader of the Fire Nation. He looked every bit the ruler from his royal robes of state to the golden crown shining on his head.

And he had just apologized to her.

"What?" she asked, confusion lacing her tone.

He didn't respond.

"Zuko?" she asked quietly. The lantern light flickered in the dim room, seeming to grow and wane with his breaths.

He looked at her, and she took his action as an invitation to continue.

"You never answered my question," she stated.

"What question?" he asked, although he knew full well what she was referring to.

"Why did you save my life? I was nearly dead. You would have been rid of me forever," she said, her blue eyes boring into his gold.

They stood facing one another, and Katara grew frustrated with his lack of an answer. She heard him release a heavy sigh, and suddenly his lips came crashing down onto hers. She yelped in surprise, the sound muffled by his mouth, and she placed her palms flat on his chest in an attempt to push him away.

As his lips worked over hers, all thoughts of pushing him away fled her mind. She felt his strong hands work through her hair, and he brought her head closer to his as he deepened the kiss. She felt herself surrendering to him.

As suddenly as he had begun, Zuko pulled away from her. Both firebender and waterbender were slightly dazed.

Finally he spoke. "That's why."

Katara looked at him, unable to speak. Numbly she took a step backward and sat down on her bed. She felt disgusted with herself for giving in to him, but she couldn't deny what she felt for him.

_After all he's done…I should hate him with every fiber of my being. _

_I used to._

_But then I met him._

She finally gathered up enough courage to look up at him. To her immense relief, he seemed as if he was feeling as much confusion and conflict as she was. He was pacing back and forth across the cell, which seemed ridiculous. The room was tiny.

He stopped pacing, and he pinched the bridge of his nose. She had determined that this was a habit of his whenever he was frustrated. She found it endearing, as much as she hated herself for thinking it.

She watched the flames in the lanterns rise and fall with his breaths, which were becoming more steady.

Her head snapped up in surprise when he began to speak.

"I don't know how it happened. We're supposed to be mortal enemies. You frustrate me to no end. Dear Agni, we're at _war_! And I find that I can't…stop thinking about you. You have awakened something in me that I don't understand," he finished softly, as if he didn't want to admit such a thing.

She was still seated on the edge of the bed, her eyes blankly staring ahead as she took in his words. He walked over to her and placed a gentle hand on her cheek.

Katara leaned into his callused palm and closed her eyes. This was the same hand that had killed an unknown number of her people, the hand that had helped bring Ba Sing Se to its knees, the hand that had roughly dragged her around during her first few weeks of captivity, the hand that had burned Akiak alive, the hand that had signed papers while she awaited him with tea…the hand that had viciously grabbed her neck and burned her.

And yet, his hand was so tender now. She held her breath for a moment when the realization that she felt safe with him hit her. When had it changed? It was such a grand moment – the time when she realized that she no longer feared him…that she cared for him – and yet it had somehow passed her by when she wasn't looking.

"Zuko, I – where do we go from here?" she asked quietly.

He was quiet for a moment, and then answered, "I'm not sure."

"Our nations are at war, Zuko. I cannot change the fact that you are on a mission to exterminate my people and my culture," she said sadly, and looked down at her hands. "I feel as if I am betraying them. I am supposed to hate you. I want to hate you. But I can't," she whispered.

"In addition to that, I am still your prisoner. I will never truly be happy until I am free, and when I am free, I shall return home. I don't belong here," she finished.

Zuko stood up as he heard footsteps approaching in the hall. A messenger knocked at the door, and he moved to answer.

Katara watched him listen to whatever message the man carried. She could not hear what the man said, but Zuko seemed to stiffen when he heard the news.

He turned to give her one last look, and strode out of the cell. Katara heard the lock click behind him.

He still didn't trust her.

* * *

Zuko stormed into his study, furious about the news he had received. As he suspected, the Water Tribe was mounting an invasion on the capital city. His spies had reported both ground troops and naval troops moving into position.

He fumed as he wondered how exactly a contingent of Water Tribe soldiers had made it onto _his_ soil. He would need to do some investigating. Clearly border security was getting lax. He would be having a discussion on the matter with his generals.

In the meantime, however, he needed to figure out a way to keep the war out of his city. He and his forefathers had managed to keep the war from the capital city for over 100 years. The outlying provinces were really the only places in the Fire Nation truly affected by the conflict.

The Fire Nation had carried the war to the other nations. Therefore, battles raged on the soil of the other lands. Rarely did a battle reach the homeland. Skirmishes along the coasts were common – usually it was a ragtag team of idealists from the Earth Kingdom or Water Tribe trying to exact revenge upon the Fire Nation. These small rebellions were quickly squelched. There were no full-on battles, however.

These skirmishes were good for morale as well, since the rebels were dealt with swiftly and severely. The citizens of the Fire Nation enjoyed numerous victories – defeat was an unknown concept.

The core of his nation enjoyed a sense of security. If that security was breached, there would be uproar, particularly if it was the palace city that was invaded. His nobles would not take too kindly to having their city and lands invaded. Their support for him would waver. He could not afford to lose their support…not now. The Fire Nation was on the cusp of winning this spirits-cursed war. He very nearly ruled the world.

The Water Tribes were about to attempt a last-ditch effort to overthrow him. The city's defenses were nearly impermeable, but he knew there was always a way. Ba Sing Se was said to be the impenetrable city. Zuko choked out a wry laugh. The so-called impenetrable city was now under Fire Nation control. There was always a weakness. He had learned from the mistakes of others. He would not be so proud as to call his city impenetrable.

Deep inside his mind, he knew the only reason they were mounting an offense at this time was to rescue Katara. Based on intelligence he had received, the Water Tribes were weak at the moment. Hunting had been poor this year. Their stores were low. Their warriors were exhausted from the mere act of surviving. He was certain their generals would not have ordered this attack if not for the captive waterbender.

He shook his head in disbelief. All this for one girl. One very powerful, captivating girl.

He sighed. It was time to review his city's defenses. He called for a messenger to arrange a meeting with his generals in the war room. The city of the Fire Lord would not fall to a band of Water Tribe warriors. Zuko was keeping his waterbender.


	9. Invasion

**Author's note: **Whew! Hi guys! Sorry so late…I've been running around like crazy all day (in the pouring rain no less!)

This is it! The last chapter of Part I! A **HUGE** thank-you and lots of virtual hugs go out to those who have stuck around and reviewed this entire time! You guys have made it so worth it! *warm fuzzies*

Thanks to everyone who reviewed the last chapter: **avatarthelastairbenderfreak****, ****secretsofadarkangel****, ****Tigerlilysmile****, ****AnnaAza****, ****Animus of Masada****, ****hg-always****, ****Katey123****, ****ArrayePL****, ****Dreaming 11****, ****a5h13y 101****, ****Afictionado****, ****xxKHxxFan15****, ****InItToWinIT**. Haha, I'm glad I was able to surprise you all with the kiss – and that you all liked it!

There will be a note at the bottom regarding Part II. For now though, I present to you the final chapter of Part I!

* * *

**Healing

* * *

**

_Looking at you makes it harder_

_But I know that you'll find another_

_That doesn't always make you wanna cry_

_It started with the perfect kiss then_

_We could feel the poison set in_

_Perfect couldn't keep this love alive_

_You know that I love you so_

_I love you enough to let you go_

_I want you to know_

_It doesn't matter where we take this road_

_Someone's gotta go_

_And I want you to know_

_You couldn't have loved me better_

_But I want you to move on_

_So I'm already gone_

-Kelly Clarkson, _Already Gone

* * *

_

Over the next few days, Katara was surprised to have Zuko visit her cell several times. She still wasn't sure what news had caused him to leave the room so abruptly a few days prior. She had to admit to herself that there was something in his gaze just before he left that disturbed her. It was almost…possessive.

In addition to his visits, she was also surprised by the tenderness he afforded her. They had seemed to return to the uneasy truce that they had held during the weeks of afternoon tea. They once more fell into a routine of stilted conversation that became easier with time. Katara was somewhat shocked and mildly ashamed that she enjoyed their conversations.

They once again began trading stories of their childhoods, both the good and the bad. Katara talked about the love her family shared, but also discussed the hardships of living in such an unforgiving land. She talked openly about how difficult the Fire Nation's attacks had been for her people – and about how hard the deaths of her parents had been. And Zuko had listened. He sat at the edge of her bed as he heard of the horrors the Fire Nation had brought to the Southern Water Tribe; he looked down at the fabric that covered the bed, while his pale hands picked at invisible lint on the sheets. The waterbender had been shocked when she recognized the expression on his face – shame. Could Zuko – the _Fire Lord_ – be ashamed of the actions of his predecessors?

Perhaps he had been eager to shift the subject from the abuses the Fire Nation had visited on the Water Tribe, but Katara had nonetheless been surprised when Zuko began to speak of his own past. Zuko had talked about anything from the long hours he had spent listening to his tutors drone on about history to the harsh punishments his father had given. His amber eyes had dulled when he spoke of his father. Katara noticed his muscles had become tense, as if he expected the man to jump out of the shadows and carry him back into the darkness.

_What did he do to you?_

He told her how he had acquired his scar.

_It was the one time I showed open compassion for anyone. Father always taught us that compassion was a weakness, and a ruler who showed compassion was unfit to rule. As a result, Azula and I learned to be harsh in our judgments. Weakness and incompetence was unacceptable._

_I was thirteen. I begged Father to allow me to attend a war meeting. After all, I had just become Crown Prince of the Fire Nation, and if I was to rule someday, I had better get started on learning how to do it._

_He finally acquiesced and told me I may attend if I kept my mouth shut during the meeting. I was so excited. I entered my father's war room and took my place among the generals. I listened, fascinated, as they discussed strategy._

_To my dismay, my father's generals were discussing a plan that involved sacrificing inexperienced soldiers on the front lines._

_I spoke my opposition._

_My father's fury was immediate. To my shame, I was terrified. He dismissed the generals from the war room, and decided my punishment._

He had shuddered nearly imperceptibly as he recalled the horror of the moment.

_I saw his hand fill with flame, and before I knew what happened, he raised his hand to my face. I fell to the floor; the pain was indescribable._

_I promised my father I would never make the mistake of showing compassion again. I told him _I_ would give the order to send those soldiers to the front line._

_I learned my lesson._

Katara had listened, horrified, as he recounted his tale. His voice was bitter as he reached the end of the story; he looked away from her, as if he couldn't face her judgment. Indeed, she _couldn't _look at him when he told her that he capitulated to his father's wishes and gave the orders to the soldiers himself.

_He knowingly sent those soldiers to their deaths. _Despite her horror, she began to wonder about the situation. _He was thirteen. What thirteen year-old _wouldn't_ obey his father in the face of such terror?_

Slowly, she had tentatively raised her hand to the rough, raised skin of his scar. He flinched away from her palm at first, but then she felt him lean into her gentle touch.

She sat on her bed now, thinking back to that peculiar moment. He had seemed so vulnerable, as if he was once more that terrified thirteen year-old boy. He had had no one to guide him or comfort him. She now offered him the kindness and comfort that he had wished for all those years ago.

She had looked through the window of his past with new eyes. She had wondered if she would be any different, had she been raised in that environment. Somehow, she didn't think so. Even her own personality had been changed by the harsh realities of the world. Her early years had been filled with love and family; back then, she never would have dreamed she would grow into a hardened warrior. After the death of her family, Master Pakku had taken her and molded her into a warrior – a warrior that killed others in battle.

The waterbender felt her cheeks warm as she recalled how Zuko had gently taken hold of the hand cupping his face, and placed his own hand behind her head, guiding her toward him. His fingers had delicately worked their way through her hair as their lips met.

This was gentle and tentative, unlike the greedy, desperate kiss they had previously shared. She felt his warm lips explore hers, and his tongue had slowly entered her mouth. She breathed in his smoky scent, and returned his kisses. His long fingers had deftly woven their way through her hair, pulling their bodies closer together. Soon, his lips had wandered down the curve of her jaw, gently tasting the newly-formed scar that encircled her neck.

They had been forced to stop as they heard footsteps approaching the cell door. A messenger had knocked, and Zuko went to meet him.

Even though he had left, Katara could still feel his lips on hers. Her mind reeled with uncertainty. She hated herself for giving into him. Every time she was with him, she wanted to think of how he was responsible for the loss of her home and family.

He was personally responsible for Akiak's death. Akiak, who had died in agony just a few feet from where her bed was now situated.

He was responsible for hurting her. She had nearly died.

But then he had brought her back to life…and awakened feelings she wasn't aware she could still feel.

She forced herself to stop pacing the cell. She lay down on the bed, and tried to make sense of her thoughts. She tossed and turned as she realized the futility of the notion. She could _not_ be in love with him.

_But I am…oh spirits…I am.

* * *

_

Zuko sat in his war room, listening with half an ear to the reports of his generals. Usually, he listened with attentiveness to what the men had to say. He had hand-picked each one of them – they were a far cry from the monkey-lizards his father had called generals, whom he had promptly dismissed after coming into power. These were men of honor; he had personally fought beside each one of them. He respected them, and they respected him. Today, however, he had much more on his mind than troop movements. He forced himself to listen as General Kuro, one of the generals overseeing the Earth Kingdom colonies, gave a disturbing report of Earth Kingdom forces mobilizing.

They were moving with more organization than they had in years, and Zuko and his generals suspected they had found a new guiding force. Azula. There were sketchy reports of Dai Li agent sightings, and even a possible sighting of Azula just south of Gaoling.

His sister would have to be dealt with in the very near future. He saw the well-hidden worry in the eyes of each of his military commanders. It was disturbing that Azula had been able to raise such a formidable army in such a short amount of time. What would she be capable of, given more time?

Even more worrisome at the moment were the reports of Water Tribe movements. The fleet that had massed near the northern islands was now on the move. And they were moving south.

"My lord, I suggest that we wipe this _fleet_ out before they reach our shores. We can ambush them at the Gates of Azulon," General Arata, a stout man with graying sideburns, advised.

Zuko sighed wearily. "Yes, I agree. Designate a task force to set up the ambush. I appoint you to take charge of the operation. Failure is not an option," he said, his eyes narrowing at his general. "See that the Water Tribe naval force does not get _one_ ship past the gates," he said, threat lacing his voice.

General Arata visibly swallowed. "It will be done, my lord."

"General Kuro, I wish for you to travel back to the Earth Kingdom and take charge of the search for my sister. She _must _be found and captured. We need our best soldiers here in the homeland for the current threat, but as soon as the Water Tribe warriors are annihilated, you may have whatever troops you need at your disposal. Concentrate on intelligence work for the moment," he ordered.

"The rest of you, I need you to safeguard the homeland. General Arata is supervising the naval aspect, but there have been a few reports of Water Tribe soldiers traveling by land. They may try to find a weakness in our city's walls. See that they don't find one," he said simply.

The generals received the implied threat within the order. _If one Water Tribe soldier makes it past our defenses, your lives are forfeit._

The older men watched the young Fire Lord stalk out of the room after dismissing them, then scrambled to fulfill their respective duties.

* * *

Katara snapped awake as her cell door creak open. She was no longer startled when she saw Zuko enter the cell.

She gifted him with a small smile.

She noticed he carried a small tray with him. A laugh nearly escaped her lips when she saw it contained a tea set, and she nearly fell over in shock as _he_ began to serve_ her_ tea.

He noticed the expression on her face and gave her a wry smile.

"Just like old times, with a bit of a twist," he said lightly

He carefully handed her a cup of the steaming liquid, and poured one for himself.

They sat in companionable silence as they sipped their tea.

Despite his easy attitude toward her, and the calming effect of the tea, she could sense that something was amiss. She had noticed he had seemed very tense the past few days. In fact, he had seemed very tense ever since that first messenger had visited the cell and Zuko had left without a word.

Deciding to take a risk, Katara inquired about his uneasiness.

"Zuko, what's wrong?" she asked point-blank.

He looked at her in surprise, as if he thought he had been successfully hiding his tense attitude.

"Nothing. Just politics," he said, taking a sip of his tea. Katara noticed him wince as the burning-hot liquid hit his lips. She reflected it was odd to see a firebender burned by hot tea.

Katara's intuitive qualities didn't buy the story that it was merely politics that were worrying him. Whatever was bothering him distracted him to the point of burning his mouth with hot tea.

"You've been dealing with politics your entire life. It's something more than that," she pressed.

She felt him sigh beside her.

"Very well. If you must know – there have been organized movements within the Earth Kingdom. I believe my sister has made contact with the Dai Li agents who helped us overtake Ba Sing Se, and that she is now planning a coup," he explained.

One of her eyebrows raised. Worrisome, but not enough to be the sole cause of his uneasiness.

"Zuko, you've been dealing with your sister nearly your entire life. That can't be what is worrying you to distraction."

She continued to stare at him, her cerulean eyes boring into his golden ones.

He shifted his weight uncomfortably and looked away from her.

"Go on," she prodded.

"I suppose you might as well know. There have been reports of the Water Tribe fleet massing near Asuka Island, which is near the northern-"

She interrupted him. "I know where it is," she said, her eyes narrowing. "And what are you planning to do about it?" she asked suspiciously.

"I will protect my city," Zuko supplied.

Katara sighed. "I know," she said with resignation.

She paused a moment. "The escaped warrior must have returned and told my tribe that I and the others are still alive," she said, hope creeping into her voice.

She was startled to feel Zuko stiffen beside her when she mentioned "the others".

She pinned her glare on his face. "Zuko, are the others still alive?" she demanded, her voice rising.

Her hands started to shake when he didn't answer immediately.

He looked down at the floor as he began to speak.

"After-after the poison incident, I had Azula arrested," he stopped, letting the implications of the statement soak into Katara's mind. She watched the fire light from the lanterns flicker over his face as she digested the information.

_I think you remember that we still have six Water Tribe prisoners left. I have given the guards an order to dispatch them in the event of my arrest._

Azula's words bit into Katara's memory, and tears filled her eyes.

"No. No!! _All_ of them??" she shouted, standing up and facing Zuko.

He nodded his head numbly.

"I'm sorry," he mumbled to her.

"You're _sorry_? You never cared for them!! Tui and La, you killed one of them yourself!! It's better for you that they're gone!!" she screeched, her hand pulling back to slap him.

He grasped her wrist before she could make contact with his face.

"Don't," he warned.

Wrenching her hand from his grasp, she balled her fists up at her sides, her body shaking.

Finally she went slack and sat back on the bed. She looked up at him, defeat in her eyes. "How much more must I suffer? I was responsible for those men," she choked out, tears streaming down her face.

The Fire Lord turned to leave the room, but hesitated at the doorway. He looked back at her and spoke once more. "You are correct. Their deaths meant nothing to me. But I _am_ sorry that it hurt you. And for that, my sister will suffer."

Katara stared after him as he left the room, the lock once again clicking behind him.

* * *

Zuko avoided the waterbender's cell for the next two days. He had wanted nothing more than to rush back in there and comfort her, but he just couldn't. He could not show that weakness. He couldn't let her distract him from his purpose.

As it was, he had plenty to keep him busy. At the moment, he sat brooding on his throne, waiting to hear field reports from his soldiers. Messenger hawks had arrived that morning from the outlying islands; they had reported the Water Tribe fleet had been spotted. The wooden ships were said to be sailing with all haste in the direction of the capital. The Water Tribe attack should be happening at any moment now.

He wanted to be out in the midst of the fighting, but his place was here at the center of his city. He needed to be here in the event that Water Tribe forces did breach the city.

A messenger rushed into the room, gasping for breath.

"My lord! The Water Tribe launched their attack at the Gates of Azulon, but General Arata's forces were successful in crushing them. Most of their ships are now at the bottom of the harbor, and our ships are recovering prisoners," the messenger said in a rush.

Zuko was about to thank the man for delivering the good news when another messenger rushed in.

"Your highness, the naval attack was merely a ruse! Land-based troops have breached the city walls! General Arata dispatched troops as soon as he heard of the attack, but our forces were concentrating on the naval assault. The Water Tribe is-"

Zuko didn't stop to listen to the rest of the man's report. He ran to his chambers to don his armor, barking orders all the way, and then he would see about safeguarding his city and his waterbender.

* * *

Katara glanced up in surprise as Zuko slammed the door to her cell open and came rushing in. She hadn't seen him in two days - not since she had learned of the deaths of her fellow warriors. It didn't escape her notice that he was in full battle armor. She cringed at the furious look on his face. A stray tendril of smoke worked its way out of his nose. The Fire Lord stood for a moment, trying to catch his breath. His chest heaved under his armor.

Katara crossed her arms and raised an eyebrow at him.

"What's going on?" she inquired, although she could guess that the Water Tribe fleet had arrived.

He looked at her intensely. "The Water Tribe warriors are invading the city. They breached a weak point. My soldiers are trying to hold them back, but they keep coming. It's going to be a massacre…for both sides."

Katara's face paled.

Zuko purposefully walked up to her and grasped her shoulders. His golden eyes bored into her blue eyes.

"And it's all for you! Agni! I would give them anyone else," he yelled, shaking her slightly as he held her in his grip.

Katara looked at the man before her; he was dressed for battle, ready to hold onto her at any cost. His fingers twitched slightly, digging into her shoulders, as if he were preparing to firebend at a moment's notice.

She couldn't let this happen. Not for _her._

"Zuko," Katara said, her voice nearly a whisper. "If you ever loved me, if you ever cared for me, you will let me go. You will escort me to my people. I can talk them out of this invasion – indeed, if I'm the main reason they are here, it will be easy for me to convince them to abandon the assault if I'm free."

Zuko looked at her, emotion warring on his face. In one moment, his expression softened, as if he were going to succumb to her wishes and release her, but in the next moment, his face hardened. She recognized his expression – she had seen it on the faces of Water Tribe warriors. It was that of a man prepared to fight for what was _his._ Katara felt her heart being torn in two. One half was with her people, and the other half was here, with him.

Her heart sank as he began shaking his head.

Her mind raced in desperation, and words spilled out of her mouth. "Please, Zuko. If not for me, then for both of our nations – to prevent warriors and _innocents_ from dying today," she pleaded.

His shoulders fell, and he lost the determined expression on his face. His hands relaxed in defeat.

"Katara, you must know that if I let you go today – we will be enemies. I will hunt you. If we meet on a field of battle…" he trailed off for a moment, "…I will hold nothing back."

Katara's eyes widened, and she nodded numbly. "I will hold nothing back either."

Zuko stood across from her, and began to speak after a heavy pause.

"I want to leave you with one thing," he said.

"And that would be?"

Words were not needed. He crossed the short distance to her, and passionately pressed his lips to hers. His warm mouth closed over hers, and they each poured everything into that one physical connection. They greedily took from one another, but gently gave back in return. Everything they had ever shared was in that kiss – the hate, the love, the passion, the understanding that their love could never _be_. Their lips worked frantically over one another in a desperate attempt to share a lifetime in a matter of moments – for a few moments was all they had left together. With that kiss, Katara knew undoubtedly that she loved him and he loved her.

And their lives were about to change forever.

Reluctantly, they tore apart.

They looked at one another, slightly dazed.

Katara spoke first.

"What do I need to do? Where do I need to go?" she asked hurriedly, trying to push what had just transpired between them from her mind.

"My forces have found the location of their breach, and are unsuccessfully trying to hold them off. Agni, I hate to send you in there! By all reports, the battle is furious-"

"Zuko! I _am_ a master waterbender – I can handle myself in a battle," she stated.

He looked at her, panic lacing his gaze. "But you're out of practice. You haven't-"

"I'll be fine! I move through my katas every morning! Even without water, I practiced my forms," she said forcibly.

_He's worried about my safety now? After he just threatened he would hunt me down? And kill me if necessary?_

The Fire Lord blinked and seemed to once more gain control.

"Very well. I will provide you with water skins. Hopefully you won't need them. I will attempt to send a messenger to announce to the Water Tribe forces that we are offering you up in exchange for their retreat," he said, calmer now.

He exited the cell, and motioned for her to follow him. Upon leaving, Katara took one last glance back at her cell. What had once been her dark, miserable prison was now lit by a dozen flickering lanterns. A comfortable bed sat where she had once shivered on the floor.

As much as her circumstances had improved, however, it was still a prison. As much as she had come to…love Zuko, she could not spend her days in prison. She was meant to be free. She was meant to help liberate the world.

* * *

After procuring some water skins for her, Zuko and a company of soldiers led her to the scene of the battle. Her nose reveled in the outside air, even though it was laced with smoke. She had been breathing the same stale air for too long.

The horrible sounds of battle grew louder as they drew closer. As they crested the top of a hill, Katara saw the scene laid out before her. She felt the blood drain out of her face, and risked a glance at Zuko. Ever since they had left the cell, his face had been framed in fury.

He was angry that the Water Tribe had breached his city's defenses.

He was angry that the Water Tribe had killed his soldiers.

He was angry that the collateral damage had killed his civilians. The bodies of townspeople littered the square. Katara closed her eyes in sadness.

He was angry that he had to give her up.

It was that last reason for his anger that worried Katara the most. She could not predict his actions regarding her. Would he keep his word and let her go for the sake of both of their peoples? Glancing at his face, she wasn't so sure.

Bodies littered the ground, and Katara felt a wave of sadness and regret that not all of them were soldiers. Some of them were ordinary citizens who had gotten caught in the crossfire. They had woken up that morning, expecting a typical day, going about their typical business, when her people invaded their quiet, ordinary lives. She closed her eyes against tears. War was a terrible business for all involved.

She looked sharply at Zuko when he spoke. "They are killing my people," he said, fury evident in his voice.

"And now you know how the rest of the world feels," she replied quietly.

She waited for a response, and she risked another glance at him when he didn't answer. Flames seemed to flare in the depths of his golden eyes; his face was full of fury, but there was also a small hint of realization. His eyes had widened slightly; his jaw had slackened almost imperceptibly.

Choosing to let the observation remain unanswered, he motioned to the runner that had accompanied them. She watched, cringing, as the agile man dodged various weapons, water, and flame as he waved a white flag.

She breathed a sigh of relief as the fighting gradually decreased and finally came to a stop. She and Zuko both watched with bated breath as the messenger conferred with the Water Tribe leader. Katara couldn't tell for certain whom it was, but her heart was hopeful that it was Bato. He would certainly have spearheaded the effort to return her to the North Pole. At the same time, she feared for his life. She could only hope that Pakku hadn't joined the warriors. Surely they wouldn't have allowed one of the Water Tribe's most valuable assets to risk his life in such a mission.

The messenger broke away and returned to their waiting group.

"The Water Tribe leader has agreed to cease his attack and leave the city if the waterbender is returned to them promptly," he said as he eyed Katara warily.

Zuko closed his eyes briefly.

"It is done then. She shall be returned to them. I will order a cease fire. They will then have thirty minutes to completely remove their forces from my city walls, otherwise their presence will once more be construed as hostile, and we will commence our attacks on them once more," he said.

The messenger bounded off once more to carry the message to the Water Tribe leader. Once the man received confirmation from the Water Tribe warrior, he waved the white flag as a signal.

Zuko gave his cease fire order.

He looked at Katara. "I will escort you down there myself," he said tersely.

Katara nodded and started down the hill with him. As they approached the Water Tribe warriors, she began to recognize some faces, most notably Bato. He was indeed the leader of the invading force. It was all she could do to refrain from running to him. She was relieved that she did not recognize Master Pakku's face among the invading force. It appeared he had stayed home.

Once she reached Bato, she enveloped him in a hug, and he returned it wholeheartedly.

"Katara, my seal pup, I thought you were lost to us forever," he whispered.

"I'm here, Bato, I'm here. Let's go home," she said.

Bato looked up at Zuko, still holding Katara protectively in his arms, murder in his gaze.

Zuko spoke. "I suggest you take my advice and leave my city. There is no way your forces can win, even with your prize waterbender," he said with narrowed eyes.

"Yes, we'll leave your wretched city, Fire Nation scum," Bato said scathingly.

Zuko ignored him, and looked at Katara. "Remember what I told you," regret in his eyes as he spoke.

"I know," she said quietly. The next time they met, it would be as mortal enemies once more.

Zuko summoned his troops and walked away.

Bato looked at her, questioning the exchange that had just occurred. She answered him quietly. "It's nothing, Bato. Let's just go."

"Katara, I must ask you something. This could be our chance to take the Fire Nation capital. You've been inside. We have over one hundred more warriors lying in wait outside the city. Could we do it?" he whispered, his words spilling out in a rush.

Katara looked at him with sad blue eyes. There was a slim chance it was possible, but it would be a massacre on both sides.

"No, there are too many of them. It would be a massacre. We should regroup, and wait for another chance. Our day will come, Bato," she said sadly.

He gave a curt nod, acknowledging her advice. "Very well then," he said. "Move out!" he shouted to his forces.

Katara helped gather up their straggling soldiers. She knew that Zuko would very well carry out his threat if they were not outside the city walls within his set time frame. She could feel his golden eyes on her, watching from atop the hill. He was ready to send the signal to attack if there was any inkling the Water Tribe warriors were in any way hostile.

Bato led her and the rest of the warriors out of harm's way. They passed through an underground tunnel in the bowels of the volcano surrounding the city. The heat inside was stifling, and she was grateful to exit the underground escape route. Idly she wondered if it was the same route Azula had taken out of the city.

Well, the Fire Lord knew about it now, and would certainly seal it. Next time, assuming there was a next time, they would need to find an alternate route into the city.

The warriors made their way through an outlying forest to a hidden bay, where several wooden Water Tribe ships awaited their return.

Katara boarded the ship, and soon they were underway. She reveled in the salt spray on her face, ecstatic to be once more surrounded by her element, but she couldn't help but look back at the land full of fire. Her thoughts rested on one who wielded fire as she wielded water, and once again, she hated herself for longing to feel his arms around her.

* * *

Zuko watched from atop the hill as the Water Tribe forces gathered and dispersed. His gaze rested upon a small figure with dark hair, her servant clothing a splash of red among the blue of her people.

As the Water Tribe warriors filed out of the city, the Fire Lord turned to one of his trusted military commanders.

"Have her followed. I don't care if you have to use every single Yu Yen archer to track her. The tracker must not be seen. If the trail is lost, don't bother returning to the Fire Nation. You will never set foot on this soil again if she is lost. And if she is harmed in any way, I will hunt you down. _Personally._ Am I clear?"

"Yes, my lord," the man said, trying to keep a waver out of his voice.

"Good, then you had best go, because the trail is quickly fading away. I would hate to see you fail so early in your mission. Send weekly updates to me via messenger hawk. These updates are for my eyes only. Now go!" he ordered.

The man raced away to gather resources for his extended trip and to set the Yu Yen to immediately begin tracking the girl.

Zuko wearily climbed inside the palanquin that would deliver him back to the palace. One thought filled his mind.

_We will meet again.

* * *

_

**Special note:**

**So there it is folks! Hope you all enjoyed it – I know I had fun writing it. It's been quite the experience! I have Part II completely written, but I have to review and edit and all that fun stuff. I'm thinking about posting the prologue next Friday. If I have enough motivation (hint,hint), then I will post it next Friday. Part II is called "Sun and Moon", so keep your eyes open for it!**

**Part II consists of a prologue, 10 chapters, and an epilogue.  
**

**Thanks for reading – you guys are the best!! And now a gift...a teaser for Part II:**

Zuko looked up at the dark sky. The purple-hued storm clouds hid the moon from his view.

He hated when the clouds hid the moon.

The moon was the only way he could feel close to _her._

When he was completely alone at night, he would look up and quietly whisper to the moon.

He loved her.

And he hated her for it.


End file.
